CBE Final Exam

10% of the moisture found in the Earth's atmosphere is released by plants through _____________.

transpiration

Indirect Solar energy supplies 10% of the U.S' net energy production. Which type of indirect energy contributes the most?

hydro

The Invention of the electric generator helped convert the ____________energy of water wheels to electrical energy.

mechanical

The United States uses corn to produce ethanol, Brazil uses __________to produce ethanol.

sugarcane

Two factors determine the total power in a hydroelectric installation: the ________ ____________ and the vertical distance.

total flow

Using a power curve for a typical wind turbine with a site's ______characteristics lets engineers assess the expected power output from proposed wind installations.

wind

Which continent is responsible for producing the most Biodiesel?

Europe

_________ Energy is becoming the fastest growing source of electrical energy.

wind

Only ____% of energy goes into wind and ocean currents?

1%

The maximum power that can extracted using three blade wind turbines is _________%.

45%

A_________ fuel-cell system needs fuel storage, fuel-supply mechanisms, and heat removal.

complete

How many interconnection are there in the United States?

3

Pumping water into an elevated reservoir converts electrical energy into ____________ energy.

gravitational potential

The U.S gets most of its electrical energy from which energy source?

fossil

What is it called when an electric current passes through water and splits H2O molecules resulting in H2 and O2 collecting at two separate electrodes?

electrolysis

Which kind of transformer receives more turns on its secondary coil?

step up transformer

_____________ is among the most familiar and versatile forms of energy, performing a wide range of tasks in our homes, commercial establishments, industry, and transportation.

electricity

___________ is the amount of energy stored per unit mass or volume of storage.

energy density

______________combustion engines in today's vehicles can be adapted to burn hydrogen.

internal

A __________ power plant uses electrical energy to run motors that pump water to an elevated reservoir.

pumped storage

A house losses energy to the outdoors primarily through conduction, although convection and radiation are also important. But, a planets environment is the vacuum of space and the only energy loss mechanism that works is________.

radiation

Earths ____________ helps stabilize its rotation axis and hence its climate.

moon

Identify which one is the Solar Constant (S);

1,364 W/m2

In the early 19th Century who was the first person to recognize the role of atmospheric greenhouse gases in the warming of earths surface?

Jean Baptiste Fourier

Our planet absorbs some of the solar incident light from the sun. How much is reflected back into space?

30%

The cooler earth emits _____________ wavelengths then the ones it absorbs.

longer

Without the ______________ our planet would be a chilly inhospitable place.

greenhouse gas effect

______________ moves energy from the surface to the atmosphere in the form of latent heat.

Evapotranspiration !

The difference between our 255K estimate of Earths average temperature and its actual288K temperature is due to the naturally occurring _________________ ______________.

greenhouse gases !

There is about a _____________ W/m2 imbalance in the Earth's energy.

1

After a change or intense forcing, what is the way(s) climate sensitivity responds?

Equilibrium response

How much Carbon is released in the atmosphere each year?

9 Gt

The effectiveness of a greenhouse gas relative to CO2 is what?

global warming potential

What are the units that describe climate forcing?

W/m^2

What effect overall do aerosols have on forcing?

produce negative forcing

What is an upset in Earth's energy balance?

climate forcing

What is part of the Earth system where carbon is stored?

reservoirs

What is the most important positive feedback in the climate system?

Water vapor feedback

What type of feedback(s) do clouds exert?

positive and negative

When one aspect of the Earth system changes, other changes may follow. This is known as what?

feedback effects

An increase in sea-surface temperatures means what?

more precipitation

How much has the summertime Arctic ice shrank since 1979?

40%

How much have Arctic winter temperatures changed recently?

an increase of 3 to 4 degrees C

In recent decades, where has the greatest warming been observed?

over land

It is possible to push climate reconstructions back millions and even billions of years by doing what?

Examining oxygen isotope data

Records of temperature before what time period are too sparse to compute a meaningful global average?

1850

What are deviations from an average temperature known as?

temperature anomalies

What does temperature vary with?

time

What makes cities warmer than the surrounding countryside?

albedo changes

When weather stations become increasingly urbanized and begin to record higher temperatures near urban areas, this is called what?

urban heat island effect