Water Possible Questions

2) The dramatic temperature changes on the moon between day and night are not seen on the earth because of what property of water?

high heat capacity

4) Lakes and oceans affect climate by moderating variations in air temperature.  The property of water moderating temperature variations is its

high heat of vaporization.

6) Which of the following is NOT a property of water?

It has a lower density than most liquids do.

8) The saltiness of the oceans is

constant

10) What percentage of water on the earth is seawater, and hence, unfit for drinking?

98%

12) The majority of fresh water is found in

polar ice caps.

14) Rivers constitute ________ percent of the surface water and other freshwater.

0.49

16) The water cycle acts to purify water by

All of these act to purify water. (A) evaporation and condensation. B) crystallization (freeze-thaw cycle). C) filtration.)

18) A characteristic of a lake dying from acidification is that the only surviving fish are

old

20) Soft water contains relatively large concentrations of

potassium ions.

22) The most serious threat to human health from water supplies is

bacteria

24) Super bugs are

organisms that are resistant to antibiotics.

26) Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is a measure of the amount of

oxygen required to degrade organic material in the water.

28) Anaerobic degradation of organic material in water systems occurs in the absence of

dissolved oxygen.

30) Which substance is likely to be produced when the dissolved oxygen in a lake is depleted?

methane

32) Dissolved oxygen is added to streams and rivers by

waterfalls and rapids.

34) Under aerobic conditions, the carbon in decaying vegetation in a lake ends up primarily as

carbon dioxide, CO2.

36) Lakes and streams with limestone rock bottoms are less susceptible to

acidification

38) The metal ion found in clays and other minerals that appears to be deadly to young fish is ________.

aluminum

40) The effects of acid rain include all of the following EXCEPT

algal blooms in lakes.

42) Acidic water is neutralized when ________ is present.

limestone

44) Many wells in the United States are contaminated with the gasoline additive,

methyl tert-butyl ether.

46) Volatile organic compounds (VOC) make up one category of contaminants in groundwater.  Which one of the following is NOT a VOC?

mica

48) A contaminant in well water in many areas is

nitrates

50) A major source of groundwater contamination is leaking underground storage tanks.  Most of these tanks once held

gasoline

52) Zeolites can be modified to remove heavy metal from drinking water.  How is this accomplished?

Calcium and magnesium cations are replaced with sodium and potassium cations.

54) Which of the following uses the greatest amount of water in the United States?

cooling for electric power plants

56) About ________ of the world's fresh water supply is used in agriculture.

70%

58) The EPA drinking water standard for toluene is 3 mg/L.  What is this concentration in ppm?

3

60) The EPA drinking water standard for arsenic is 0.050 mg/L.  What is this concentration in ppb?

50

62) One of the potential problems with chlorination of waste water is that it

produces low levels of chlorinated hydrocarbons.

64) Aeration of drinking water

does all of the above. (A) removes odors. B) increases dissolved air. C) improves flavor.)

66) Municipal water supplies are generally treated either with chlorine or with ozone.  Which of the following statements is true?

Ozone is more expensive, but less of it is needed.

68) Which of the following is considered to be a disadvantage of fluoridating drinking water?

High fluoride consumption in early childhood can cause mottling of the teeth.

70) Which of the following statements about bottled drinking water is true?

Bottled mineral water often contains more dissolved ions than tap water.

72) Secondary treatment of sewage involves

filtering and aeration.

74) Secondary treatment of wastewater is not effective for removal of

nitrates and phosphates.

76) Advanced treatment of wastewater can include any of the following EXCEPT

sand and gravel filtration.

78) What percentage of public water supplies in the United States do NOT meet one or more of the EPA water standards?

10 %

1) You can live for weeks without food, but only days without water.

true

3) The density of ice is greater than the density of liquid water.

false

5) The principal cations in hard water are sodium and potassium ions.

false

7) Acid rain results in the release of more magnesium ions from soil.

false

9) Industries in the United States have significantly reduced their contribution to water pollution in recent years.

true

11) Zeolites can often be regenerated simply by soaking them in a salt solution.

true

13) The major use of water in the United States is for public water supplies.

false

15) A possible new technology for disinfecting drinking water involves using ultraviolet light.

true

17) Bottled water generally has fewer dissolved ions than tap water.

false

19) Most water bottles are recycled.

false

21) Phytoremediation is the use of plants to remove metals or other contaminants.

true