APES Chapter 12: Nonrenewable Resources (Questions)

Cogeneration is...

A. The use of two or more energy sources to generate electricity
B. The use of two separate turbines to generate electricity
C. A method of electricity generation that includes renewable energy
D. A method of increasing a power plant's capacity factor
E. The use of a fuel to generate heat and electricity

E. The use of a fuel to generate heat and electricity

The process of fusion...

A. Splits atoms
B. Requires extremely high temperatures
C. Uses plutonium instead of uranium
D. Requires several radioactive elements
E. Does not produce radioactive waste

B. Requires extremely high temperatures

For a sample of Ti-44 with a half-life of 63 years, how long until 1/16 of the original amount is left?

A. 63 years
B. 126 years
C. 189 years
D. 252 years
E. 315 years

D. 252 years

Which of the following is NOT a nonrenewable energy resource?

A. Nuclear fuels
B. Oil
C. Natural gas
D. Wind
E. Coal

D. Wind

The fact that global transfer of energy from fuels to electricity is about 35% efficient is mostly a consequence of...

A. The law of conservation of Matter
B. The Hubbert curve
C. The 2nd law of thermodynamics
D. The law of limiting factors
E. The 1st law of thermodynamics

C. The 2nd law of thermodynamics

Which of the following is the most fuel-efficient mode of transportation in terms of joules per passenger-km?

A. Airplane
B. Train
C. Car with one passenger
D. Car with three passengers
E. Bus

B. Train

Which is a disadvantage of natural gas?

A. High sulfur emissions
B. Groundwater contamination
C. Low EROEI due to extraction processes
D. Significant waste disposal
E. High CO2 emissions

B. Groundwater contamination

Which energy source does NOT originate from the Sun?

A. Coal
B. Solar
C. Oil
D. Nuclear
E. Natural gas

D. Nuclear

Traveling alone in a car uses 3.6 MJ of energy per kilometer. If 4 people go on a trip of 400mi, what's the MJ used per person?

A. 200 MJ
B. 320 MJ
C. 580 MJ
D. 860 MJ
E. 1440 MJ

580 MJ

The major source of energy in the United States is...

A. Natural gas
B. Coal
C. Oil
D. Nuclear
E. Renewables

C. Oil

Which is an example of a secondary energy source?

A. Solar
B. Coal
C. Electricity
D. Heat
E. Nuclear

C. Electricity

Which type of coal has the highest energy density?

A. Lignite
B. Peat
C. Bituminous
D. Anthracite
E. Subbituminous

D. Anthracite

What makes petroleum convenient to use as fossil fuel for transportation?
I. High energy density
II. Clean burning
III. Its liquid state

A. I only
B. I and III only
C. II and III only
D. III only
E. I, II, and III

E. I, II, and III

Natural gas is primarily...

A. Ethane
B. Propane
C. Butane
D. Methane
E. Kerosene

D. Methane

Bitumen is...

A. A form of liquid coal
B. A degraded type of petroleum
C. A by-product of natural gas extraction
D. A fast-forming fossil fuel
E. A petroleum product used for plastic production

B. A degraded type of petroleum

The Hubbert curve predicts that...

A. Peak oil will occur once half of the supply is used up
B. Finding additional reserves could greatly increase the time to peak oil
C. Natural gas will be cheaper than oil by the early twenty-first century
D. The cost of oil is independent of the world's oil supply
E. Coal will run out faster than oil

A. Peak oil will occur once half of the supply is used up

One g of U-235 produces approximately how much more energy than 1 g of coal?

A. 3,000 times
B. 19,000 times
C. 80,000 times
D. 400,000 times
E. 2,000,000 times

E. 2,000,000 times

Control rods slow nuclear reactions by...

A. Reducing the amount of fuel available
B. Absorbing the heat produced
C. Increasing the rate heat transfers to the water
D. Absorbing excess neutrons
E. Adding additional barium to the reaction

D. Absorbing excess neutrons

Increased interest in nuclear power is due to...

A. Low energy costs
B. Lack of significant accidents
C. Low carbon dioxide emissions
D. New solutions for waste disposal
E. Decreased energy independence

C. Low carbon dioxide emissions

In 1969, M. King Hubbert published a graph known as the Hubbert curve. This graph show...

A. The mount of nuclear fuel available in North America
B. The point at which world oil population will increase
C. The coal reserves found in the US, China, and Russia
D. The point at which world oil production will reach a maximum and the point at which we will run out of oil
E. The amount of nuclear fuel available in the world

D. The point at which world oil production will reach a maximum and the point at which we will run out of oil

Which of the following statements regarding petroleum is correct?
I. It is formed from the decay of woody plants
II. It contains natural gas as well as oil
III. It migrates through pore spaces in rocks

A. I and II
B. II only
C. I and III
D. II and III
E. I, II, and III

D. II and III

Which of the following is not associated with the surface extraction of coal?

A. Low death rates among miners
B. Acid runoff into streams
C. Large piles of tailings
D. Land subsidence and collapse
E. Underground tunnels and shafts

E. Underground tunnels and shafts

A radioactive isotope has a half-life of 40 years and a radioactivity level of 4 curies. How many years will it takes for the radioactivity level to become 0.24 curies?

A. 200
B. 120
C. 240
D. 160
E. 80

D. 160

Currently, most high-level radioactive waste from nuclear reactors in the United States is...

A. Chemically modified into safe materials
B. Stored in deep ocean trenches
C. Reprocessed into new fuel pellets
D. Buried in Yucca mountain
E. Stored at the power plant that produced it

E. Stored at the power plant that produced it

Nuclear power plants produce electricity using energy from the radioactive decay of...

A. Plutonium-235
B. Uranium-239
C. Plutonium-238
D. Uranium-235
E. Uranium-238

D. Uranium-235

Increased interest in nuclear power is due to...

Low carbon dioxide emissions