Deck 12: Renewable Energy and Nuclear Power

Question 1

Passive solar heating:

A) cannot be used to heat buildings.
B) is effective only in the summer.
C) uses the sun's energy without machines.
D) is a non-renewable resource.
E) depends on x-rays.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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

A) uranium
B) wood
C) peat
D) animal dung
E) charcoal

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Plant material used for food is called:

A) hydromass.
B) tidalmass.
C) biomass.
D) cogeneration.
E) fertilizer.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Growing crops specifically for alcohol production would probably result in:

A) increased desertification.
B) increased soil erosion.
C) reduced food production.
D) increased pollution by fertilizers and pesticides.
E) All of these

Question 5

Which of the following is part of a home designed with passive solar heating?

A) south facing windows
B) mirrors and lenses
C) use of solar collectors on the roof
D) little insulation
E) a greenhouse

Question 6

Which of the following statements about geothermal energy is false?

A) Geothermal energy is typically associated with volcanism.
B) Geothermal energy is used to heat greenhouses for the production of produce in Iceland.
C) The United States is the world's largest producers of geothermal electricity.
D) Experts argue whether geothermal energy is a renewable resource.
E) The most common environmental hazard associated with this resource is increasing levels of atmospheric CO2.

Question 7

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

A) reservoir-induced seismicity
B) habitat destruction
C) flooding potential
D) increased soil erosion
E) disruption of fish spawning

Question 8

In rural areas of developing countries, photovoltaic cells are used to:

A) avoid the need to extend power lines.
B) provide refrigeration for vaccines.
C) grind grain.
D) pump water.
E) All of these

Question 9

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

A) nuclear energy
B) wind farms
C) alcohol fuels
D) photovoltaic solar cells
E) geothermal energy

Question 10

The amount of solar radiation hitting the Earth depends on:

A) the amount of cloud cover.
B) the distance from the equator.
C) the time of day.
D) the season of the year.
E) All of these

Question 11

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

A) active solar heating.
B) indirect use of solar energy.
C) passive solar heating.
D) using a non-renewable resource.
E) None of these

Question 12

Which of the following does not involve solar energy?

A) geothermal energy
B) photovoltaic cells
C) solar power towers
D) wind farms
E) solar thermal collectors

Question 13

Geothermal energy is a prominent energy source in:

A) Ireland.
B) northern Europe.
C) Iceland.
D) Australia.
E) Canada.

Question 14

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

A) charcoal
B) hydrogen
C) methanol
D) propane
E) methane

Question 15

In the United States, solar radiation is greatest in:

A) the southwest.
B) the northeast.
C) the northwest.
D) the mid-west
E) Florida.

Question 16

Which of the following can be used to store the heat from passive solar heating?

A) containers of water
B) reflective glass windows
C) solar panels
D) photovoltaic solar cells
E) wooden roof beams

Question 17

Which of the following is not an example of a renewable energy source that indirectly uses solar power?

A) wind energy
B) tidal energy
C) hydropower
D) ocean waves
E) ocean temperature gradients

Question 18

All of the following materials are examples of biomass fuels except:

A) wood
B) oil
C) animal waste
D) crop wastes
E) sawdust

Question 19

Wind:

A) is the result of the conversion of radiant energy into chemical energy.
B) is used in Montana to generate most of the electricity used in that state.
C) cannot be used to generate electricity.
D) has been used to pump water, irrigate fields and grind grain for many hundreds of years.
E) energy produces low levels of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides.

Question 20

Which of the following renewable energy sources is not used to produce electricity?

A) solar heating
B) geothermal
C) biomass conversion
D) photovoltaics
E) wind

Question 21

The direct cause of air warming via passive solar heating is:

A) infrared radiation.
B) visible light.
C) ultraviolet radiation.
D) microwave radiation.
E) double-paned glass.

Question 22

Which of the following is not a disadvantage to using biomass as a source of energy?

A) deforestation
B) air pollution
C) depletion of minerals in the soil
D) increased possibility of erosion
E) nonrenewable source of energy

Question 23

The temperature of buildings can by altered by using an underground arrangement of pipes containing circulating fluids, which use the Earth as both a heat source and heat sink. This uses _______ technology.

A) Infrared Radiation compartment
B) Fuel Cell
C) Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)
D) Geothermal heat pump
E) Photovoltaic solar cell

Question 24

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

A) high cost
B) low efficiency
C) inability to directly generate electricity
D) cells incorporate hazardous materials
E) large output requires large areas of land

Question 25

What factors have led to the recent "nuclear renaissance?"

A) uncertainty and increased expense of building conventional coal power plants.
B) technological advances in methods for disposing of nuclear waste.
C) creating additional nuclear capacity is a political priority in the Unites States.
D) the uncertainty and increased expense of building conventional coal power plants and the fact that creating additional nuclear capacity is a political priority in the Unites States
E) All of these.

Question 26

Solar thermal energy systems are inherently more efficient than other solar technologies because:

A) the technology involved is less expensive.
B) they can work at night and on cloudy days, as well as in full sunlight.
C) they concentrate the sun's energy.
D) they are dependent on circulating hot water.
E) the technology involved is less expensive and they can work at night and on cloudy days, as well as in full sunlight

Question 27

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

A) many photovoltaic cells continue to generate electricity through the night.
B) they currently do not produce much electricity on a global scale.
C) demand for electricity is often highest during the day.
D) the electricity can be used to power Stirling engines.
E) they are often located in deserts.

Question 28

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

A) active solar heating.
B) indirect solar energy.
C) passive solar heating.
D) photovoltaic solar cells.
E) solar power towers.

Question 29

Which of the following does not apply to wind power?

A) is a clean source of energy
B) is most profitable in areas that have fairly continual winds
C) is the least competitive of all forms of renewable energy, in terms of cost
D) causes no air pollution
E) wind machines detract from the esthetics of the region

Question 30

Which of the following is NOT among the potential adverse environmental impacts of generating geothermal energy?

A) emission of gases such as hydrogen sulfide
B) water depletion
C) induced seismicity
D) increase in carbon dioxide emissions
E) land subsidence

Question 31

Which of the following statements about hydropower is true?

A) Dams have little or no impact on native aquatic organisms.
B) Hydropower includes dams, tides, and ocean currents.
C) Dams are relatively inexpensive to build but are expensive to operate.
D) The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act fosters the hydroelectric development of U.S. waterways.
E) Humans downstream of a dam may be exposed to waterborne diseases if the dam breaks.

Question 32

Potential locations for wind farms include:

A) mountain passes
B) islands
C) coastal areas
D) grasslands
E) All of these places

Question 33

Nuclear fission:

A) is a form of combustion.
B) is the blending or "melting together" of two small atoms to form a large atom.
C) is the splitting of a large atom into two smaller atoms of different elements.
D) is the rearrangement of electrons that occurs during a chemical reaction.
E) is the process that powers the sun and other stars.

Question 34

Utility companies:

A) have no interest in solar power because it is universally available.
B) cannot utilize solar power due to limitations of the current technology.
C) cannot use photovoltaic cells because it would significantly increase their production of greenhouse gases.
D) can purchase photovoltaic devices in small modular units to increase their power generating capacity.
E) will not use photovoltaic cells because they will never be competitive with conventional energy sources.

Question 35

Nuclear fusion:

A) produces a product with a larger mass than the starting material.
B) is a form of combustion.
C) involves splitting a large atom into two smaller atoms of different elements.
D) is the rearrangement of electrons that occurs during a chemical reaction.
E) is the process that powers the sun and other stars.

Question 36

One unique aspect of solar energy as a source of global power is:

A) it is currently the only renewable energy resource.
B) it contributes to the greenhouse effect.
C) it is dispersed over the Earth's entire surface rather than being concentrated in highly localized areas.
D) its reserves will last well into the next millennium.
E) that it is not dependent on technology for collection or utilization.

Question 37

The energy released in the burning of biomass fuels:

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

Question 38

Nuclear energy:

A) is released when the chemical bonds that hold atoms together are changed.
B) involves changes within the nuclei of atoms.
C) involves converting a large amount of matter from the nucleus into a small amount of energy.
D) results in the production of greater mass at the end of the energy process.
E) All of these.

Question 39

Photovoltaic solar cells are:

A) single-celled organisms that are used to collect solar radiation, which they turn into heat.
B) wafers of crystalline silicon treated with metals that absorb solar radiation and generate electricity.
C) cheap to produce, but contribute to atmospheric pollution, including CO2.
D) highly efficient in converting solar energy to electricity.
E) unable to function at all on rainy or cloudy days.

Question 40

Photovoltaic cells:

A) have become more economical to produce and use over the past 25 years.
B) are the most efficient means of converting solar energy to electricity.
C) are currently only used in urban areas of highly developed countries.
D) have only been adapted for use in small appliances.
E) generate electricity with minimal pollution, but unfortunately, require expensive maintenance.

Question 41

The process of refining uranium ore and insuring the proper amounts of various types of uranium is called:

A) breeding.
B) fabrication.
C) enrichment.
D) fission.
E) integration.

Question 42

When high temperatures begin to melt the metal encasing the uranium fuel pellets, this is called a:

A) breeder reaction.
B) fission reaction.
C) fusion reaction.
D) meltdown.
E) flame out.

Question 43

U-235 and U-238 are different

A) isotopes of uranium
B) elements that are radioactive
C) ionic forms of the same element
D) types of radioactive decay
E) types of fuel for fusion reactors

Question 44

Spent fuel is

A) exhausted energy
B) the depleted environmental reserves of radioactive elements
C) the entombed storage of dismantled nuclear reactors
D) the used neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
E) radioactive waste generated by nuclear energy

Question 45

A storage site for high-level radioactive waste would have all of the following features except:

A) isolated from major population centers.
B) geological stability.
C) no contact with groundwater.
D) near volcanic activity where waste can be destroyed by high temperatures.
E) no contact with flowing water or air movement.

Question 46

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

A) to convert half of a given mass into radioisotopes.
B) to extract one-half of the energy from the Earth's uranium supply.
C) for one half of the total amount of a radioactive substance to change into a different material.
D) for the sun to use up one-half of its available atomic resources.
E) None of these

Question 47

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

A) air pollutants.
B) water pollution.
C) carbon dioxide.
D) radiation that is released into the surrounding region.
E) radioactive waste that requires waste storage.

Question 48

The worst nuclear accident ever to happen at a nuclear power plant occurred at:

A) Bristol, England.
B) Chornobyl, Ukraine.
C) Normandy, France.
D) Savanna River, GA.
E) Three Mile Island, PA.

Question 49

All of the following are effects of the Megatons to Megawatts™ program EXCEPT:

A) generation of energy that has been used by one in ten US consumers
B) elimination of almost 14,000 nuclear warheads from former Soviet stockpiles
C) conversion of over 350 metric tons of highly enriched uranium from dismantled Russian nuclear weapons to low enriched uranium
D) elimination of over 10 tons of high level radioactive waste

Question 50

The production of "glass logs" to store high-level liquid radioactive wastes in the United States is called:

A) vitrification.
B) "wet cask storage"
C) spent fuel pools.
D) fuel assemblies.
E) logification

Question 51

A reactor vessel in a nuclear power plant is:

A) the protective structure surrounding the reactor core.
B) the container used to store spent fuel rods.
C) used to control the fission process in the reactor core.
D) the site of steam and electricity production.
E) the standard location for on-site waste storage.

Question 52

The atomic mass of an element is equal to the:

A) number of neutrons.
B) number of protons.
C) number of electrons.
D) number of neutrons + number of protons.
E) number of protons + number of electrons.

Question 53

High level radioactive wastes:

A) are produced by nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons facilities.
B) can be safely and permanently disposed of
C) do not include spent fuel rods and tailings from uranium mining.
D) have very short half-lives.
E) All of these

Question 54

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

A) South Africa
B) United States
C) Australia
D) Afghanistan
E) Canada

Question 55

Which of the following is not a component of a regular nuclear power plant?

A) combustion engine
B) fuel rods
C) reactor core
D) steam generator
E) control rods

Question 56

All of the following are related to NIMBY response EXCEPT:

A) not in my back yard
B) it commonly is a response to the proposal for a nuclear power plant
C) politicians and their term of office
D) is the "sister" response to NIMTOO
E) All of these are related

Question 57

Above each fuel assembly is a control rod that regulates the nuclear reaction by absorbing:

A) energy.
B) heat.
C) neutrons.
D) radioactive wastes.
E) uranium.

Question 58

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

A) atoms.
B) radioactive.
C) compounds.
D) isotopes.
E) molecules.

Question 59

The most abundant isotope of uranium in ore is:

A) C-12.
B) U-234.
C) U-235.
D) U-238.
E) PU-239.

Question 60

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

A) enrichment.
B) fusion.
C) fission.
D) atom exchange.
E) the nuclear fuel cycle.

Question 61

Which of the following does not have a short half-life?

A) Uranium- 235
B) Carbon - 12
C) Krypton - 85
D) Cesium - 173
E) Strontium - 90

Question 62

The main problem with energy from nuclear fusion power is:

A) it is dependent upon hydrogen, a limited fuel resource.
B) fusion only occurs in the sun, and we don't know how the sun's energy is produced.
C) fusion technology requires vast quantities of uranium.
D) fusion power still remains to be proven practical to control
E) None of these

Question 63

Which of the following vocabulary is mis-matched with its definition?

A) fission - splitting atoms into smaller fragments
B) fusion - combining atomic nuclei into larger nuclei
C) high-level nuclear waste - spent fuel elements from commercial reactors
D) low-level nuclear waste - any slightly contaminated material
E) meltdown - process by which uranium ore is refined after mining to increase the concentration of fissionable U-235

Question 64

Which of the following has not been linked to exposure to high levels of radiation?

A) mutations
B) increased incidence of influenza
C) cancer
D) leukemia

Question 65

Fission of U-235:

A) results in the release of electrons, which collide with other U-235 atoms creating a chain reaction.
B) releases a great amount of heat, which is used to transform steam into water.
C) must be controlled in order to be used for the production of electricity.
D) in power plants may get out of control generating a bomb-like nuclear explosion.
E) is controlled by the careful placement of the reactor core within the turbine.

Question 66

Fission products with short half-lives that are created by U-235 fission:

A) mimic nutrients essential for good health.
B) can be incorporated into bones, teeth, muscle and the thyroid gland.
C) continue to decay even after being ingested.
D) can cause cancer.
E) All of these

Question 67

Which of the following statements is not true? The splitting of a uranium atom in a nuclear reactor:

A) may trigger the splitting of additional atoms of uranium.
B) produces dangerous waste material.
C) results in the production of high-energy neutrons.
D) results in the production of large amounts of heat energy.
E) results in no loss of mass.

Question 68

The formation of a mixed oxide (MOX) containing plutonium:

A) produces an essential component of nuclear weapons.
B) is a means of disposing of weapons-grade plutonium.
C) allows for the safe transport of radioactive liquid.
D) occurs during a meltdown.
E) can only be applied to low-level radioactive waste.

Question 69

All of the following are issues that have limited the building of breeder nuclear reactors except:

A) a breeder reactor makes more fissionable fuel than it uses
B) a breeder reactor uses liquid sodium, a highly reactive metal, rather than water as a coolant posing more safety risks
C) a breeder nuclear fission use of plutonium as fuel is associated with plutonium use in nuclear weapons
D) public opposition, technical problems, and accidents
E) uranium, used for conventional nuclear fission, is more plentiful and cheaper than originally thought

Question 70

In breeder nuclear fission reactors:

A) uranium U-235 is converted into plutonium Pu-239.
B) U-238 fission produces heat that is used to generate electricity.
C) protons produced from the fission of Pu-239 produce additional Pu-239 from U-238.
D) Pu-239 fission produces heat that is used to produce electricity.
E) uranium U-238 is converted to U-235.

Question 71

Hazardous radioactive materials produced by fission reactors include all of the following except:

A) plutonium - 239
B) cesium - 137
C) carbon - 12
D) krypton - 85
E) strontium - 90

Question 72

Which of the following is a major advantage of breeder nuclear fission?

A) Breeder nuclear fission is responsible for 30% of the electricity needed worldwide.
B) Nonfissionable U-238 is converted to fissionable Pu-239
C) It uses sodium as a coolant, which is safer than using water.
D) It uses uranium-235 as a main energy source.
E) It neither uses nor produces weapons-grade materials.

Question 73

The two fuels commonly used in atomic fission weapons are:

A) plutonium-239 and uranium-235.
B) plutonium-239 and uranium-238.
C) radium-226 and uranium-235.
D) plutonium-239 and krypton-85.
E) uranium-235 and plutonium-240.

Question 74

What is the role of the reactor core in a nuclear power plant?

A) it provides heat to superheat water into steam under pressure, which is used to generate electricity
B) it restricts atomic fallout to reduce contamination
C) it breaks large radioisotopes into smaller radioisotopes
D) it reacts chemically with high-energy particles rendering them inert
E) it maintains one radioactive decay per second

Question 75

Discuss the positive and negative aspects of using direct solar energy, and suggest ways to encourage research and development in this form of alternative energy.

Question 76

Discuss the advantages and potential adverse environmental impacts of using geothermal energy.

Question 77

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

A) no connection to water pollution.
B) limited risk from catastrophic accidents.
C) emission of few pollutants to the atmosphere.
D) no related occupational death.
E) unlimited supply.

Question 78

The partial destruction of the reactor core at Three Mile Island:

A) was controlled by the containment building.
B) caused no safety issues for workers or nearby residents.
C) resulted in extensive radioactivity being released into the surrounding environment.
D) caused the power plant to be closed indefinitely.
E) caused cancer in many children who lived near the power plant.

Question 79

An unstable isotope of hydrogen is:

A) tritium
B) deuterium
C) sodium
D) lead
E) uranium

Question 80

Low levels of radioactive wastes:

A) give off small amounts of ionizing radiation.
B) are produced only by nuclear power plants.
C) are safely stored in local landfills.
D) are in solid form only.
E) are not a serious problem for disposal.