BSC1050 Unit Test 4

Although less than ___ of the world's population lived in highly developed countries in 2008, these people used ___ of the commercial energy consumed worldwide.

20%, 60%

At the current rate of consumption, the world's coal reserves could last for possibly another ___.

200 years

Approximately what percentage of global oil consumption is used for transportation?

70%

Electric power plants do not operate efficiently because:

A large amount of energy is lost as heat during generation and electricity is lost during transmission

Which of the following is an example of cogeneration?

A power plant takes steam left over after electricity production and uses it to heat buildings.

Combustion of which of these fossil fuels is/are linked to global warming?

All of these ( oil, methane, natural gas, coal)

Growing crops specifically for alcohol production would probably result in:

All of these (increased soil erosion, increased pollution by fertilizers and pesticides, reduced food production, increased desertification)

The energy released in the burning of biomass fuels:

All of these (originated as solar energy,was initially converted from solar energy to chemical energy by the process of photosynthesis, is one of the oldest fuels known to humans, was stored as chemical energy in plant tissues or animal waste products)

Potential locations for wind farms include:

All of these places (grasslands, coastal areas, islands, mountain passes)

Which of the following countries has the largest deposits of the element uranium?

Australia

Which is an accurate representation of a water molecule?

B

What factors contributed to oil's reputation as an "ideal" energy source throughout the 20th century?

Both 1 and 3 (It was cheap and it was easy to transport and use)

Installation of energy-saving technologies in buildings can lag behind that of cars because:

Buildings have a much longer lifespan.

Which compounds may be released by burning coal without emission controls?

Carbon dioxide Nitrogen oxides Mercury Sulfurous oxide

China is quickly becoming a major player in the global market of oil consumption for all of these reasons except:

China has developed technology for converting coal into oil

Which fossil fuel is most abundant in North America?

Coal

Which fossil fuel reserves will most likely last the longest?

Coal

The most promising solution to our current and future energy needs is:

Conservation and increased efficiency

A major reason that global energy consumption is increasing is that ____.

Developing countries are using more energy as they improve their standard of living

The greatest increase in worldwide energy consumption in the last few years is related to:

Economic development in China and India

One advantage of conventional nuclear power, when compared to coal, is:

Emission of few pollutants to the atmosphere.

Joining two lightweight atomic nuclei into a single heavier nucleus is called ____.

Fusion

Geothermal energy is a prominent energy source in:

Iceland.

All of the following statements are true about surface mining except:

It is the most hazardous type of mining for workers.

Which of the following correctly ranks lightbulb types from most to least efficient?

LED > compact fluorescent > incandescent

When high temperature begin to melt the metal encasing of the uranium fuel pellets, this is called a ___.

Meltdown

Soil is composed of

Mineral particles Organic materials Air Water

Which fossil fuel is composed primarily of methane?

Natural gas

Which is not a form of energy technology that originated as solar energy?

Nuclear energy

_____ describes the pathway of various nutrient minerals or elements from the environment through organisms and back to the environment.

Nutrient cycling

Desertification can be caused by:

Overgrazing Overcultivation Periodic droughts Soil erosion

Saltwater and saline groundwater can be made drinkable by humans and animals by process called

Reverse osmosis

Which of the following statements about geothermal energy is false?

The most common environmental hazard associated with this resource is increasing levels of atmospheric CO2.

Which of the following is an example of a renewable energy source that uses the gravitational pull of the moon and sun as a power source?

Tidal energy

Which country has the highest rate of per capita energy use?

United States

Negative environmental impacts from oil and natural gas production may occur due to:

accidental spills during transport

Which of these fossil fuels was/were formed from the remains of ancient microscopic algae and aquatic organisms?

all of these ( methane, natural gas, gas hydrates, oil)

Compared to development of new energy sources, energy efficiency and energy conservation:

all of these choices are correct (cost less and improve the economy's productivity,improve the economy's productivity,cost less, save energy for future use)

Compared to development of new energy sources, energy efficiency and energy conservation:

all of these choices are correct (save energy for future use, improve the economy's productivity,cost less, cost less and improve the economy's productivity)

A thick, asphalt-like oil that permeates tar sands is:

bitumen

Organic fertilizers are:

can consist of manure, crop residues, or bone meal

The concern about global warming is directly related to increased levels of what chemical in the atmosphere?

carbon dioxide

Which of the following practices will increase energy efficiency?

changing incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs

The type of fossil fuel made from the remains of ancient plants that lived millions of years ago is

coal

What are some of the potential drawbacks to switching from incandescent to compact fluorescent light bulbs?

compact fluorescents cost more and potential difference in light quality

Which of the following correctly lists solar, nuclear and crude oil energy sources from most to least versatile?

crude oil > solar > nuclear

The fact that solar systems only generate electricity during the day is typically not a problem because:

demand for electricity is often highest during the day.

One advantage of conventional nuclear power, when compared to coal, is:

emission of few pollutants to the atmosphere.

The half-life of a radioactive element is the period of time required ____.

for one half of the total amount of a radioactive substance to change into a different material

The half-life of a radioactive element is the period of time required:

for one half of the total amount of a radioactive substance to change into a different material.

Which of the following is not a renewable source of energy?

fossil fuels

Which of the following does not involve solar energy?

geothermal energy

Wind:

has been used to pump water, irrigate fields and grind grain for many hundreds of years.

Photovoltaic cells:

have become more economical to produce and use over the past 25 years.

Clay content is particularly important in soil because high-clay soils ___.

have large surface areas that can "hold" mineral ions for plant use.

Which of the following fuels could not be used in flexible fuel vehicles (FFV's)

hydrogen

Most fresh water is present in the form of

ice caps and glaciers

The use of photovoltaic cells is limited by all of the following except:

inability to directly generate electricity

Which of the following is not a problem associated with hydropower?

increased soil erosion

Worldwide, freshwater use is:

increasing because, on average, each person is using more water.

The burning of biomass such as wood, is an example of:

indirect use of solar energy.

The burning of biomass, such as wood, is an example of:

indirect use of solar energy.

All of the following home energy-saving improvements are simple to make after a home is built except:

installing thicker wall insulation

Nuclear energy:

involves changes within the nuclei of atoms.

The greatest use of fresh water is for

irrigation

Cogeneration:

is a way of recycling heat that is produced as a by-product of electricity generation.

Surface mining is more common than subsurface mining because it:

is less expensive.

One of the most destructive types of surface mining for the land itself ___.

is mountaintop removal using a dragline

Which of the following does not apply to wind power?

is the least competitive of all forms of renewable energy, in terms of cost

Nuclear fission ___.

is the splitting of a large atom into two smaller atoms of different elements

Nuclear fission:

is the splitting of a large atom into two smaller atoms of different elements.

Forms of a single element that differ in atomic mass are called ___.

isotopes

Why is investment in energy conservation and efficiency a necessary component of any governmental energy policy?

it is often difficult for individuals or corporations to make purchases that save money in the long run, if they are more expensive over the short term

The removal of dissolved minerals from the soil as water moves downward is called

leaching

Petrochemicals are used in the production of all of the following except:

lightweight concrete

In fluidized-bed combustion of coal, what is mixed with coal to remove which major air pollutant?

limestone; sulfur oxides

Which of the following is a liquid fuel converted from biomass?

methanol

One way to make agricultural water more sustainable is through:

microirrigation

Which of these fossil fuels is composed primarily of methane?

natural gas

Legume plants, like soybeans, add which of the following to the soil?

nitrogen

Which of the following is a completely clean energy source?

none of these choices is correct

Commercial production of which of the following energy sources became practical only after large amounts of investment by the United States and other countries over the past half century?

nuclear

Which of the following is not an emerging alternative, renewable resource energy technology?

nuclear energy

The atomic mass of an element is equal to the ___.

number of neutrons + number of protons

Today the world's main energy source is

oil

The energy released in the burning of biomass fuels:

originated as solar energy was stored as chemical energy in plant tissues or animal waste products was initially converted from solar energy to chemical energy by the process of photosynthesis is one of the oldest fuels known to humans

The American Dust Bowl was caused by all of the following except ____.

poor nutrient quality of the soil of the Great Plains

A "zero-net energy" building:

produces as much as or more energy than it uses

The greatest problem with the use of nuclear power to generate electricity is its production of ___.

radioactive waste that requires waste storage

The greatest problem with the use of nuclear power to generate electricity is its production of:

radioactive waste that requires waste storage.

Compared to energy use practices hundreds of years ago, modern societies:

rely more on highly concentrated sources

Which is the most effective way to reduce flood-related damage?

restricting development on flood plains

Water tends to drain rapidly through soil that is high in ___.

sand

Excessive removal of groundwater can result in:

sinkhole formation

Users of which energy source have benefitted recently from a change in policy in the United States that allows consumers to sell energy back to the grid?

solar

Many sun-tracking mirrors are used to focus sunlight on a central tower boiler to produce steam to drive generators. This best describes:

solar power towers.

Soil pH is important because ____.

some mineral ions are leached more easily from an acidic soil

Scrubbers in smoke stacks remove large amounts of what major air pollutant?

sulfur oxides

The amount of solar radiation hitting the Earth depends on:

the amount of cloud cover the distance from the equator the time of day the season of the year

What does the term "Peak Oil" refer to?

the point in time at which the maximum amount of oil is being pumped from underground

A reactor vessel in a nuclear power plant is:

the protective structure surrounding the reactor core.

In the United States, solar radiation is greatest in:

the southwest.

It is hypothesized that undiscovered large oil deposits are located

under the continental shelves

Which of the following is not a source of biomass energy?

uranium

Passive solar heating:

uses the sun's energy without machines.

Photovoltaic solar cells are:

wafers of crystalline silicon treated with metals that absorb solar radiation and generate electricity.

All of the following represent ways in which individuals can reduce water consumption except:

washing many small loads of laundry

An example of an intermittent energy source is:

wind