APES UNIT 6
About 80% of the world's energy comes from fossil fuels. According to the US Energy Information Administration, the total primary energy consumption worldwide in 2012 was about 520 quadrillion BTUs. How many BTUs came from fossil fuels?
416 quadrillion BTUs
Which statement about high-level radioactive waste is NOT accurate?
High-level radioactive wastes have a short half-life.
A scientist has a radioactive isotope that has a half life of 50 years. Approximately what percent of the original sample will remain after 250 years?
3%
All of the following are associated with small-scale hydropower systems EXCEPT
they do not require turbines and generators.
All of the following are true of hydroelectric dams EXCEPT
they protect estuaries by saturating the soils.
Which of the following might eventually become petroleum?
Plankton.
All of the following regarding hydroelectric dams are known to impact migratory fish species EXCEPT
The dams increase the flow rate of the water in the rivers and streams.
During the industrial period, which of the following fuels were used to create steam?
Wood then coal
On which river is the Three Gorges Dam located?
Yangtze River
The half-life of Uranium-235 is 700 million years. How long will it take for 75% of the isotope to decay?
1.4 billion years
In nuclear fission, energy is released when this subatomic particle strikes a large atomic nucleus.
A neutron
Which of the following statements best describes what occurs during nuclear fission?
A neutron splits an atom into two smaller nuclei, releasing high amounts of energy and other neutrons in the process.
Which of the following are created by dams along a river?
A reservoir.
What is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
A stockpile of oil in caves in Louisiana designed to prevent a catastrophe like the energy crisis of 1973.
Which of the following materials is often found with natural gas?
All of the above
Which of the following statements about nuclear particles is accurate?
Alpha particles cannot penetrate a piece of paper.
Burning wood for energy is an effective, low-cost option for less-developed nations. Unsustainable use of this resource, however, has contributed to many environmental problems. Which of the following is NOT an environmental problem related to using wood for energy?
An increase in carbon dioxide absorption.
Which of the following coal types is the MOST valuable?
Anthracite
Which country uses the MOST coal in the world?
China
Which fossil fuel is most abundant?
Coal
Which energy sources are used MOST to LEAST worldwide for electricity generation?
Coal, Natural Gas, Renewables and Nuclear.
Which of the following fuel types is BEST associated with the majority of electricity generation in the U.S. from 2006-2013 (the light blue top portion of the graph)?
Coal.
Which of the following is produced solely from the ancient remains of photosynthetic organisms?
Coal.
World's largest dam.
D
Which is the MOST common approach for reducing peak demand?
Electric companies can use a variable price structure and charge more during peak demand periods
Some people use ethanol as a replacement for gasoline. Which of the following might be a statement that helped convinced them to do this?
Ethanol does not add carbon to the atmosphere when burned.
Which of the following is a structure designed to allow fish the opportunity to migrate upstream over or next to a dam?
Fish ladder.
Which of the following statements is NOT true in with respect to ethanol production in the American Midwest?
Its production and use can result in lower CO2 emissions.
Solar yard lights have become common. Explain the various forms of energy demonstrated as sunlight is converted to electricity and eventually light from the small LED bulb in a yard light.
Light energy (kinetic) is converted to electrical energy (kinetic) which is then converted to light energy (kinetic).
Which of the following is the correct order of coal varieties in order of increasing calorific content?
Lignite — subbituminous — bituminous — anthracite.
What is the difference between proven reserves and unproven reserves?
Proven reserves have a reasonable certainty of being recovered while unproven reserves do not.
Which is NOT an accurate statement about the cap-and-trade system for reducing carbon dioxide emissions?
The cap on carbon emissions for companies was established during the Kyoto Protocol and forms the basis for trading carbon units.
Which of the following accurately describes the process of nuclear fusion?
The nuclei of two or more atoms come close together and are fused into a new type of atomic nucleus.
Which of the following BEST describes peak oil?
The rate of oil production is at an all-time high.
What is the purpose of synfuels?
They are used as a replacement for petroleum.
Which dam has the world's largest possible hydroelectric output?
Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in China
Which of the following forms of energy is not directly or indirectly caused by solar radiation?
Tidal
How do changes in water temperature around a dam affect the ecosystem in the area?
Warming or cooling the natural river affects the amount of dissolved oxygen in it, and altering natural seasonal changes in temperature can disrupt the lifecycles of aquatic creatures.
Renewable energy sources make up which of the following percentages of the energy sources used worldwide?
13%
Based on the table above, how long would a sample of titanium-44 need to be stored until it is considered safe?
630 years
Which of the following are found in both nuclear and coal-fired power plants?
A generator, turbine, and cooling tower.
Which of the following was responsible for the 1973 energy crisis in the U.S.?
An oil embargo by OPEC coupled with both rising petroleum use by the U.S. and more petroleum imports by the U.S.
Contains large deposits of tar sands.
B
Which of the following lists the most used fuel, worldwide, in order, from the 1700s to today?
Biomass, coal, petroleum.
Which of the following is a TRUE statement about nuclear reactors and atomic bombs?
Both nuclear reactors and atomic bombs contain enriched uranium.
Coal deposits formed from forests during which of the following geologic periods?
Carboniferous
How is it processed into gasoline, kerosene, diesel, propane, and other materials?
Different hydrocarbons are separated according to boiling point in a process called distillation.
Which of the following is formed from the remains of organisms and is the most widely used source of energy globally?
Fossil fuels
On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 earthquake hit Japan. The earthquake knocked out power supplies to the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Fukushima, Japan, and a resulting tsunami wiped out the backup generators. As a result, the plant overheated and various explosions damaged several of the plant's nuclear reactors. Which of the following consequences was a result of the Fukushima environmental disaster?
Higher than normal levels of cesium-137 were detected in schools of Pacific fish.
According to the World Bank, which country has the highest energy consumption per capita?
Iceland
According to the map below, which countries have the LARGEST natural gas reserves?
Iran and Russia.
Which of the following electricity sources is correctly paired with the energy type that is used to create it?
Kinetic energy and solar panels
The combustion of which of the following fossil fuels will have the LOWEST impact on global climate change?
Natural gas.
Which of the following refers to the splitting of an atomic nucleus into two smaller nuclei?
Nuclear fission.
Which of the following statements about nuclear fusion are TRUE?
Nuclear fusion occurs on the Sun.
All of the following are safety issues with nuclear power plants EXCEPT
Nuclear power plants can explode like an atomic bomb if not sufficiently monitored.
All of the following are safety issues with nuclear power plants EXCEPT
Nuclear power plants emit radioactive gas during daily operations.
Which of the following uses the temperature difference between the warm, surface waters of the ocean and the colder, deep waters of the ocean to produce energy?
Ocean thermal energy conversion
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), based on 2012 data which of the following represents primary global energy fuel use in the correct order from MOST used to LEAST? (Note: Remember this is for ALL energy uses - transportation, electricity generation, etc.)
Oil, Coal, Natural Gas, Biofuels, Nuclear, Hydroelectricity, and other renewables.
Which of the following is a catastrophic problem that can occur in a power plant if a cooling system fails and the nuclear fuel generates too much heat?
Partial reactor core meltdown.
In which part of a nuclear power plant does nuclear fission occur?
Reactor vessel.
Which type of pollution is BEST associated with nuclear power production?
Radioactivity.
Which of the following used the MOST amount of natural gas in the United States before the natural gas boom of 2007?
Residential Consumption.
In the pre-industrial age, which of the following correctly illustrates the available energy sources to get work done in order of prevalence?
Slaves & domestic animals, wind and water, biomass, coal
The picture above is of a nuclear power plant. What is being emitted into the air?
Steam
Which of the following statements represents the MOST common use of fossil fuels for the generation of electricity in the United States?
The combustion of natural gas to heat H2OH2O to produce steam to turn the turbine to generate electricity.
Renewable energy sources are known to be nondepletable. Which of the following BEST explains what is meant for a source to be nondepletable?
The source will replenish at or near the rate of its consumption.
Which of the following are considered high-level radioactive waste?
The waste produced in nuclear reactors only.
Which of the following environmental problems can result from the generation of electricity from fossil fuels?
Thermal pollution.
A country may have large reserves of a particular fossil fuel but not be the greatest* producer* of that fuel. Recall that production means extracting the material from the ground. Which country is the world's largest producer of natural gas?
United States
Which of the following countries has the LARGEST coal reserves?
United States.
Which country has the LARGEST petroleum reserves?
Venezuela.
Based on the information presented in the graph, which energy source experienced the greatest percent change from 1990 to 2014?
Wind
The order of types of coal from HIGHEST energy content to LOWEST energy content per gram is
anthracite, bituminous, lignite, peat.
All of the following are advantages of nuclear power EXCEPT
nuclear power plants generate very little waste and there are many options for disposal.
When a coiled metal wire is spun rapidly in a magnetic field, electrons become excited and electricity is produced. This component in electricity production is called
the generator.
Hydraulic fracturing is used mainly to extract
unconventional natural gas.
All of the following statements have correctly paired a renewable technology with the mode by which electricity is made EXCEPT
wind power takes the potential energy of gravity to create electricity
Your home uses about 15 kW15 kW of energy per day. You want to use a photovoltaic system for your home that provides 960 W960 W for about $4000$4000. How much will it cost you to use these solar panels as a source of energy for your home?
$62,500.00
How much additional CO2CO2 is emitted by turning on the lights for 8 hours8 hours in a classroom in this state compared to the national average?
(2,000 lb CO2MBTU−1,150 lb CO2MBTU)×1 MBTU1,000,000 BTU×3,412 BTUkWh×40 bulbs×30 Wbulb×1 kW1,000 W×8 h
If all of Rance's power went to the city of Nantes, what percent of Nantes power would come from the tidal station?
29%
Which of the following equations shows the primary reaction occurring in a hydrogen fuel cell that generates electricity?
2H2+O2→energy+2H2O
Plutonium-238 has a half-life of 88 years88 years. A power plant started out with 300 g300 g of this isotope in 1985. How much Plutonium-238 will be left in the year 2425?
9.375 g
Using the graph above, estimate the change in hydropower from the peak to the most recent date.
A decrease of about 1×1081×108 megawatt-hours.
Which BEST describes a photovoltaic cell?
A technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity.
Other than removing the dam, what can be done to help these fish?
All of these are used to help fish navigate past a dam.
Coal that emits fewer pollutants and is energy-dense sells for a higher price. Which of the following types of coal would be the MOST expensive?
Anthracite.
Which of the following is produced at a relatively low cost by burning wood or plant material?
Biomass energy
Biomass energy is a renewable energy source that is fairly controversial. Which of the following is a point someone opposed to biomass energy would likely bring up?
Biomass energy produces many harmful air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds.
Which of the following is only considered a potentially renewable resource?
Biomass energy.
What is the difference between a conventional nuclear reactor and a breeder reactor?
Breeder reactors produce more fissionable material than they consume to produce electricity. A conventional reactor consumes more than it produces.
Which of the following are ONLY found in nuclear power plants?
Control rods, fuel rods, and containment structure.
There are several radioactive isotopes in nature. Which is NOT a reason why Uranium-235 is the preferred fuel for use in a nuclear power plant?
It is the most abundant uranium isotope.
Which is NOT true of low-level radioactive waste?
It needs to be buried deep underground to be safe for humans.
If a municipality wanted to decrease its sulfur dioxide levels, the LARGEST impact would come from
switching to renewable forms of electricity production.
Using the information in the graphic, how many BTUs of energy for transportation comes from renewable resources?
1.1×1015 BTU
Which of the following volumes of natural gas per hour is required to heat the home?
150 ft3 natural gas/hour
Assuming the plant is 90% efficient, calculate the number of Joules of gravitational energy per second that were in the water as it entered the turbine.
2×109 J/s
How much wood do you need to cut to provide enough wood to heat your house for the winter?
3 cords of wood
Approximately, how much of the United States' electricity is projected to be produced from fossil fuels in 2035?
3.3 trillion kilowatthours
Fossil fuels are considered nonrenewable because it takes millions of years to make more of them. As this is the case, all of the following are advantages to using these resources EXCEPT
As developing countries become more developed, their need for energy increases.
Petroleum is extracted from the earth by drilling. During primary extraction, about 5-15% of the petroleum at that site can be brought to the surface. What is secondary extraction and why is it necessary?
As oil is extracted, pressure in the area is reduced and the remaining oil is more difficult to bring to the surface. By injecting fluid like water or brine or a gas like carbon dioxide, pressure can be added that pushes out more of the oil.
Based on the information in the map, which country has proven oil reserves above 100 billion100 billion barrels due to the tar sands located within it?
Canada
Ethanol is a liquid biofuel that the United States produces from corn. Which of the following is NOT a disadvantage associated with the production of ethanol from corn?
Cellulosic material is much easier to convert to ethanol than corn.
Petroleum that is pumped out of the ground is known as which of the following?
Crude oil
Which of the following correctly describes the main reasons for freshwater withdrawals in the United States (surface water and groundwater combined), in order from the greatest to least amount of water withdrawn annually?
Energy production, irrigation, then public water supplies
On April 26, 1986, two power surges occurring during nuclear safety checks resulted in a meltdown at the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor in the USSR. At the time, it was the largest nuclear accident in history. Which of the following consequences was a result of the Chernobyl environmental disaster?
Higher than normal levels of iodine-131 were linked to thyroid cancer in humans.
What method of extracting natural gas would a company most likely use in the area of the Marcellus Shale?
Hydraulic fracturing.
Which of the following energy sources may be a good fit for Singapore?
Hydrogen fuel cells.
Which of the following BEST describes how a nuclear reactor produces electricity?
In the nuclear reactor vessel, one of the byproducts of nuclear fission, heat, is used to create steam to turn in a turbine-generator which produces electricity.
Which of the following appropriately describes the ways the U.S. dealt with the energy crisis of 1973?
Increased exploratory drilling, increased efficiency (CAFE) standards for cars, reduced speed limits to conserve fuel, researched alternative energy sources, and set up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Which of the following descriptions BEST describes why ethanol has a characteristically low net energy yield?
It takes much energy to produce and utilize ethanol as an energy resource.
What units are most often used to express electric energy use by an electric utility company in the United States?
Kilowatt-hours.
Based on the image, identify the required characteristic for solar thermal energy met by the states in the southwestern United States.
Large amounts of land.
According to the map below, which of the following is the MOST likely location of the FAMC lignite mine?
Latrobe Valley Basin.
Which of the following CORRECTLY describes the type of energy produced by a hydroelectric power plant like Three Gorges Dam in China?
Like other hydroelectric dams, this one produces electricity (a form of kinetic energy) by taking advantage of potential gravitational energy.
Natural gas is composed primarily of which of the following?
Methane.
If a tyrannical dictator decided to control future energy sources, to which countries would he or she most need to market based on projected energy demands?
Nicaragua, Rwanda, and other developing nations.
How is the majority of nuclear waste currently being handled?
Nuclear waste is stored on site at each facility.
Worldwide, which fossil fuel is used more than any other?
Petroleum
What inference regarding the use of solar photovoltaics can be made from the map below?
Regions in the Southwestern U.S. receive receives more hours of sunlight per day throughout the year.
Coal is a source of nonrenewable energy commonly used in the United States for the generation of electricity. Which of the following BEST explains why the supply of coal should be conserved since it is a source of nonrenewable energy?
The conditions of the environment now are different from the environment when coal first formed
In a coal-fired electrical generating plant, coal is burned to heat water, which creates steam. The next step in this process is which of the following?
The steam is used to turn a turbine.
How do storage dams aid in flood control?
They decrease flooding downstream.
Which of the following uses ocean movements to drive turbogenerators?
Tidal power.
What is the purpose of control rods in a nuclear reactor?
To absorb neutrons and slow down a reaction.
The environmental disadvantages associated with natural gas include all of the following EXCEPT
Trace metals released during combustion.
According to this map, which countries have the largest coal reserves?
United States, Russia, China, India and Australia.
Which of the following sources of energy transforms kinetic energy to electricity without using heat energy?
Wind.
Although hydrogen fuel cells are considered an alternative to fossil fuels, they still come with several implications. All of the following are disadvantages to using hydrogen as a source of fuel EXCEPT
hydrogen acts as an energy carrier.
Which country gets the highest percentage of its energy from nuclear power?
France
All of the following are associated with fuel cell technology EXCEPT
Fuel cell technology does not result in fewer emissions.
Which of the following is NOT currently one of the main uses for dams?
Grinding grain
Many fuel sources have more than one by-product when generating electricity. Which of the following is the only by-product of a hydrogen fuel cell?
H2O
Which acronym represents the agency with the MOST influence on the world oil market?
OPEC.
Which is the BEST description of the half-life of a radioactive isotope?
One half-life is the time required for one-half of an isotope to decay to another element.
Which of the following explains the appropriate order for coal formation?
Peat, lignite, sub-bituminous coal, bituminous, and anthracite.
Which of the following is a direct use of solar energy?
Photovoltaic cells
What type of energy is demonstrated in the height difference between a reservoir of a hydroelectric dam and the stream below it?
Potential gravitational energy
Which type of nuclear reactor has water that cools the nuclear fuel which is at a higher pressure and does not turn into steam?
Pressurized water reactor.
What is the difference between primary and secondary energy sources?
Primary energy is the energy contained in raw fuels while secondary energy sources are derived from primary energy.
Which of the following is NOT a concern with the management of water behind a dam?
Reservoirs are likely to have a higher concentration of H2CO3H2CO3 and therefore a lower pH value than the sources or outflows.
Which of the following type of fish would be MOST greatly impacted by damming a river?
Salmon.
Which of the following BEST supports the idea that incandescent bulbs lose 90% of the energy to heat?
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Rainfall events wash soil particles into streams. These soil particles collect in streams and rivers and are referred to as silt. What effect do dams have on silt flow?
Silt accumulates in dam reservoirs.
How does deposited silt in a reservoir affect the ecosystem?
Silt contains nutrients that become trapped behind a reservoir. The silt absorbs sunlight, warming the water and decreasing dissolved oxygen. Ecosystems downstream are starved of nutrients while the reservoir supports large algal blooms.
What are the benefits of storage dams?
Storage dams prevent seasonal flooding, produce large amounts of electricity, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
All of the following are disadvantages to nuclear power EXCEPT
Supplies of uranium are dwindling causing the cost of nuclear power to sky-rocket.
Which of the following is NOT an argument that would promote the production of synfuels?
Synfuels will allow for the conservation of water that would be polluted during the extraction of natural gas or coal
The incineration of municipal solid waste is a way to use biomass to produce both heat and electrical energy. It also reduces the amount of waste stored in landfills. Despite these benefits, which of the following explains why have citizens in the United States NOT supported waste incineration?
U.S. citizens are concerned with the air pollution that may result from burning waste.
Which of the following non-renewable fuels has the HIGHEST energy density?
Uranium
Which type of fuel is used for nuclear fission reactions and how is it obtained?
Uranium-235 is used and is mined and separated from ore.
To produce nuclear energy, most reactors fire a neutron at the nucleus of which atom?
Uranium-235.
How are river temperatures affected by dams?
Water released from deep in a reservoir behind a dam is usually cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than water in the stream below the dam.
The most common source of energy used for heating and cooking in the world is
biomass.
All of the following are ways dams affect climate change EXCEPT
dams prevent fish from migrating to spawning grounds further up river.
An advantage of photovoltaic systems is that
excess energy can be produced and sold back to the power grid.
Nuclear reactors use uranium in casings known as
fuel rods.
All of the following describe a passive solar energy system EXCEPT
heat is mechanically moved to a storage area for use at a later time.
All of the following statements of solid biomass as a fuel source are true EXCEPT
its use reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
What is known as an element or chemical compound that is normally crystalline and that has been formed as a result of geological processes?
mineral
