Deck 10: Energy for Tomorrow: Solar and Other Renewable Energy Sources

Question 1

Which of the following forms of alternative power source does not get its energy from the Sun either directly or indirectly?

A) Geothermal energy
B) Hydroelectric power
C) Wind power
D) Biomass energy
E) Solar energy

Answer 1

Geothermal energy

Question 2

Solar power towers use Sun-tracking mirrors called _____.

A) reflectometers
B) heliostats
C) receivers
D) condensers
E) turbines

Answer 2

heliostats

Question 3

Which of the following is an environmental problem associated with hydroelectric power?

A) Flooding of upstream canyons
B) Reduced nutrient flow downstream
C) Interrupted spawning patterns of fish
D) Destruction of naturally majestic wilderness
E) All of these

Answer 3

All of these

Question 4

Which of the following systems use(s) the heliostats to focus the Sun's energy on molten salt water for creating steam?
I. Solar power tower
II. Parabolic trough
III. Dish/engine

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

Question 5

Which of the following statements associated with wind power is incorrect ?

A) Wind power is an indirect form of solar power.
B) Wind power accounts for 5% of the total electricity of the United States.
C) Wind power is currently too expensive.
D) Wind power production is uncontrollable and intermittent.
E) All of these statements are correct.

Question 6

Which of the following is not a problem associated with utilizing solar energy?

A) Low concentration of solar energy supply
B) Low efficiency of solar cells for collecting solar energy
C) High costs associated with constructing solar technologies
D) Hazardous wastes associated with solar cell decomposition
E) Nonrenewable nature of solar energy

Question 7

Which of the following is/are currently the most cost competitive in creating fuel to replace fossil fuels?
I. Solar power tower
II. Parabolic trough
III. Dish/engine

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

Question 8

Which of the following is not a part of Solar Two?

A) The turbine
B) The control rod
C) The central receiver
D) The condenser
E) The heliostat

Question 9

A solar system uses a focusing system that covers 135 m ² and produces a power of 41.0 kW approximately. If the solar power available is 1000 W/m ² , the efficiency of the solar system is _____.

A) 1.82%
B) 14.34%
C) 30.37%
D) 55.21%
E) 94.10%

Question 10

Which of the following alternative energy sources is considered renewable?

A) Biomass energy
B) Solar energy
C) Hydroelectric power
D) Wind energy
E) All of these

Question 11

In which of these regions does hydroelectric power have the greatest potential for growth?

A) Mountainous regions
B) Desert regions
C) Developing countries
D) Developed countries
E) Island nations

Question 12

Which of the following are disadvantages of wind power?
I. Wind farms use large portions of land, which cannot be used for other purposes.
II. Wind farms are undependable since winds are not always present when needed.
III. Wind power generation is extremely expensive and hence not cost competitive with other fuels.
IV. Wind power is nonrenewable; once it is used up, it cannot be replenished.

A) I and IV
B) II and IV
C) I and III
D) I and II
E) I, II, and III

Question 13

Which of the following forms of energy uses heliostats to focus the energy of the Sun?

A) Solar thermal energy
B) Wind energy
C) Hydroelectric power
D) Biomass energy
E) Geothermal energy

Question 14

Which of the following is a cleaner alternative fuel source to fossil fuels?

A) Solar energy
B) Wind power
C) Hydroelectric power
D) Geothermal energy
E) All of these

Question 15

Which of the following systems utilize(s) solar thermal energy?
I. Solar power tower
II. Parabolic trough
III. Dish/engine

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

Question 16

Which of the following use(s) large troughs to track and focus sunlight onto a pipe and the sunlight heats a synthetic oil, leading to the heating of water for creating steam?
I. Solar power tower
II. Parabolic trough
III. Dish/engine

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

Question 17

What is the efficiency of a solar system that uses a focusing system covering an area of 100 m ² and produces 40 kW of power? The solar power available is 1000 W/m ² .

A) 20%
B) 40%
C) 60%
D) 88%
E) 94%

Question 18

Which of the following is not a disadvantage of hydroelectric power?

A) Threat to marine life
B) Threat of dam failure
C) Disruption of nutrient flow downstream
D) Relatively small number of dammable rivers
E) Cost of producing hydroelectric power

Question 19

Which of the following is the world's most utilized alternative energy source?

A) Geothermal energy
B) Hydroelectric power
C) Wind energy
D) Biomass energy
E) Nuclear energy

Question 20

What is the efficiency of a solar system that uses a focusing system covering an area of 300 m ² and produces 50 kW of power? The solar power available is 900 W/m ² .

A) 2.09%
B) 18.52%
C) 54.67%
D) 81.52%
E) 94.80%

Question 21

Which of the following is not a commercial application of photovoltaic cells?

A) Night lights
B) Highway call boxes
C) Watches
D) Cell phones
E) Calculators

Question 22

Photovoltaic cells convert light into electricity without _____.

A) moving parts
B) noise
C) pollution
D) moving parts and noise
E) moving parts, noise, and pollution

Question 23

Photovoltaic systems convert solar energy into _____.

A) heat
B) electricity
C) electrons
D) solar thermal power
E) steam

Question 24

Which of the following is the correct notation for an electron-rich semiconductor when silicon is doped with arsenic?

A) p-type
B) p/n-type
C) n-type
D) n/p-type
E) None of these

Question 25

When added to silicon, which of the following dopants would result in an electron-deficient semiconductor?

A) As
B) Sb
C) P
D) B
E) Se

Question 26

What is the efficiency of a solar system that uses 75 heliostats with an area of 3.0 m ² and produces 25 kW of power? The solar power available is 1100 W/m ² .

A) 10.10%
B) 20.02%
C) 30.30%
D) 45.10%
E) 90.03%

Question 27

When added to silicon, which of the following dopants would result in an electron-rich semiconductor?

A) B
B) Al
C) Sb
D) C
E) b

Question 28

Which of the following is the most common type of semiconductor found in photovoltaic cells?

A) Arsenic
B) Carbon
C) Uranium
D) Silicon
E) Hydrogen

Question 29

Which of the following problems is/are associated with storing solar energy in batteries?
I. It is very expensive.
II. There is a lack of storage materials.
III. There is a loss of energy during the conversion process.

A) I only
B) II only
C) II and III
D) I and III
E) I and II

Question 30

Identify the problem/problems associated with photovoltaic cells.
I. The semiconductor in photovoltaic cells is doped with small amounts of other elements.
II. Photovoltaic cells are expensive to construct.
III. Photovoltaic cells must absorb large amounts of energy for useful applications.

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

Question 31

How many square meters of photovoltaic cells would be required to run a 11-W compact disc player? The efficiency of photovoltaic cells is 15% for converting 1000 W/m ² of solar energy to electricity.

A) 1.1 × 10 ^{− 3} m²
B) 0.073 m²
C) 14 m²
D) 20 m²
E) 75 m²

Question 32

How many square meters of photovoltaic cells would be required to light a 100-W bulb? The efficiency of photovoltaic cells is 15% for converting 1000 W/m ² of solar energy to electricity.

A) 6.6 × 10 ^{− 1} m²
B) 15 m²
C) 67 m²
D) 200 m²
E) 275 m²

Question 33

Which of the following methods is used to store solar energy by forming chemical bonds?

A) Replication
B) Photosynthesis
C) Electrolysis
D) Combustion
E) Hydrolysis

Question 34

Which of the following are not an application of photovoltaic cells?
I. Solar cars
II. Battery chargers
III. Satellite and space industry
IV. Calculators

A) I and II
B) I and III
C) I, II, and III
D) I, III, and IV
E) All of these

Question 35

Which of the following is the correct notation for an electron-deficient semiconductor?

A) p/n-type
B) p-type
C) n-type
D) n/p-type
E) None of these

Question 36

How many square meters of photovoltaic cells would be required to light a 60-W computer monitor? The efficiency of photovoltaic cells is 15% for converting 1000 W/m ² of solar energy to electricity.

A) 0.40 m²
B) 2.5 m²
C) 14 m²
D) 9 m²
E) 400 m²

Question 37

Apart from low concentrations, which of the following is the most significant problem associated with solar energy?

A) Low levels of processing
B) Intermittence of sunlight
C) Inefficient storage
D) High cost of collecting
E) Lack of sufficient collecting systems

Question 38

When added to silicon, which of the following dopants would result in an electron-rich semiconductor?

A) B
B) Al
C) Ge
D) C
E) P

Question 39

Which of the following methods is not currently explored for storing solar energy?

A) Light capture
B) Heat storage
C) Battery storage
D) Creation of chemical bonds
E) All of these

Question 40

Which of the following factors provides a source of energy to excite electrons that move across a p-n junction?

A) Light
B) Heat
C) Silicon
D) Steam
E) External current

Question 41

Which of the following is not a problem associated with geothermal energy?

A) It has limited availability.
B) Vented steam usually contains sulfurous and ammonia gases.
C) Global warming occurs because of the high levels of CO ₂ produced.
D) Condensed steam from Earth's crust is corrosive to mechanical parts .
E) All of these are problems associated with geothermal energy .

Question 42

Which of the following will not lead to the conservation of household energy?

A) Electric heaters
B) Lowering thermostats
C) Using fluorescent lighting
D) Installing double-pane windows
E) All of these

Question 43

Which of the following has the highest household energy consumption?

A) Water heating
B) Air-conditioning
C) Space heating
D) Appliances
E) Television

Question 44

Which of the following heating sources is the most effective in heating homes?

A) Solar energy
B) Electricity
C) Hydropower
D) Geothermal energy
E) Natural gas

Question 45

What amount of energy is conserved when a house is heated directly with natural gas?

A) 10 - 20%
B) 30 - 40%
C) 50 - 60%
D) 70 - 90%
E) 95 - 98%

Question 46

Which of the following is not a fuel for vehicles?

A) Hydrogen
B) Ethanol
C) Solar power
D) A fuel cell
E) None of these

Question 47

Which of the following will increase the supply of nuclear fissionable material to 8000 years?

A) PV cells
B) Fuel cells
C) Solar power towers
D) Dish/engines
E) Breeder reactors

Question 48

Which of the following items will not lead to the conservation of household energy?

A) Lowering thermostats
B) Using incandescent lighting
C) Heating directly with natural gas
D) Installing double-pane windows
E) Cooking in microwaves when possible

Question 49

Which of the following is the most significant problem associated with geothermal energy?

A) Inefficient form of energy
B) Global warming
C) Limited availability
D) Expensive to produce
E) None of these

Question 50

Which of the following processes is representative of the given equation?
​
Sunlight + 6CO₂ + 6H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

A) Photosynthesis
B) Electrolysis
C) Hydrolysis
D) Respiration
E) Combustion

Question 51

What percentage of energy is consumed for transportation in the United States?

A) 10%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 75%
E) 85%

Question 52

Space heating accounts for approximately _____ of energy use in an average U.S. household.

A) 10%
B) 20%
C) 30%
D) 41.5%
E) 50%

Question 53

Rank these household energy consumers in ascending order.
(Space heating, Air-conditioning, Water heating, Appliances)

A) Space heating < Air-conditioning < Water heating < Appliances
B) Appliances < Air-conditioning < Space heating < Water heating
C) Air-conditioning < Appliances < Space heating < Water heating
D) Air-conditioning < Water heating < Appliances < Space heating
E) Air conditioning < Appliances < Water heating < Space heating

Question 54

Which of the following processes is representative of the given equation? Energy + 2H₂O → 2H₂ + O₂

A) Photosynthesis
B) Electrolysis
C) Hydrolysis
D) Respiration
E) Combustion

Question 55

Which of the following is the most significant problem associated with biomass energy?

A) Inefficient form of energy
B) Global warming
C) Insufficient land
D) Expensive to produce
E) Hazardous wastes

Question 56

Identify the disadvantage/disadvantages of using nuclear power as an alternative energy source.
I. Limited amounts of U-235
II. Radioactive wastes
III. Smog production

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

Question 57

Which of the following two methods are used for obtaining energy from plants?

A) Extraction of liquid fuels and photochemistry
B) Burning and extraction of H₂O for fuel cells
C) Burning and extraction of solar energy
D) Burning and extraction of liquid fuels
E) Photochemistry and burning

Question 58

Which of the following is the product of hydrogen combustion?

A) Methane
B) Water
C) Oxygen
D) Carbon dioxide
E) Ethanol

Question 59

Which of the following nonfissionable substances can be converted to fissionable Pu-239 in a breeder reactor?

A) U-238
B) C-14
C) Si-14
D) H-3
E) O-17

Question 60

What percentage of energy is lost by burning natural gas to produce electricity for heating a house?

A) 10%
B) 30%
C) 50%
D) 70%
E) 90%

Question 61

In the year 2050, about half of the power produced in nuclear fusion reactors would be used for electricity production and the other half would be used for creating _____.

A) ethanol fuel
B) biofuel
C) fossil fuel
D) hydrogen fuel
E) methanol fuel

Question 62

Hydroelectric power currently generates approximately _____ of the electricity in the United States.

A) 5%
B) 42%
C) 16%
D) 70%
E) 7%

Question 63

Which of the following household appliances consumes the highest amount of electricity per year?

A) Television
B) Stereos
C) Refrigerators
D) Coffee makers
E) Dishwashers

Question 64

_____, which became operational in 2014, is a 370-MW solar power tower project in the United States.

A) PS30
B) PS20
C) Ivanpah
D) PTFE
E) PS10

Question 65

Which of the following parts of a dish/engine becomes the heat source for a turbine?

A) The collector
B) The receiver
C) The engine
D) The heliostat
E) The condenser

Question 66

Hydroelectric power currently generates approximately _____ of the electricity in the United States.

A) 5%
B) 42%
C) 16%
D) 70%
E) 7%

Question 67

Which of the following consumes the least amount of electricity per year?

A) Television
B) Dishwashers
C) Refrigerators
D) DVDs
E) Hot tubs

Question 68

Which of the following statements about the Sun is incorrect ?

A) The Sun radiates 10 ²⁶ watts of energy constantly into space.
B) Earth receives approximately 1 part per billion of the Sun's energy.
C) The main advantage of solar energy is that it has higher concentrated energy content than fossil fuels.
D) The significant obstacle in using solar energy is its relatively low concentration.
E) One of the obstacles in using solar energy is its cost.

Question 69

Hydroelectric power currently generates approximately _____ of the electricity in the United States.

A) 5%
B) 42%
C) 16%
D) 70%
E) 7%

Question 70

Calculate the percentage efficiency of a solar power tower with an active area of 15 m² and a production capacity of 5.5 kW of power. The solar power falling on the active area is 1 kW/m².

A) 36.67%
B) 66.67%
C) 60%
D) 20%
E) 25.37%