Deck 9: Nonrenewable Energy Resources

Question 1

You can thank petrochemicals if you use

A) glass bottles.
B) aluminum cans.
C) plastics and synthetic fabrics.
D) organic fertilizers.
E) copper wire.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

OPEC's members include all but which country?

A) USA
B) Venezuela
C) Iraq
D) Kuwait
E) Saudi Arabia

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Oil is widely used because it

A) is relatively cheap.
B) is easily transported.
C) has a high net useful energy yield.
D) has an artificially low cost.
E) all of these answers

Answer 3

E

Question 4

Crude oil components are separated by

A) gravity.
B) distillation.
C) pressure.
D) filtration.
E) precipitation.

Question 5

The peak production of a crude oil well occurs

A) when the oil is first discovered in a well.
B) just before the oil is first drilled.
C) just before the oil production begins to decline.
D) just before the oil is almost gone from the well.
E) when the oil is completely empty from a well.

Question 6

All of the following are forms of indirect solar energy except

A) wind.
B) flowing water.
C) geothermal energy.
D) fuelwood.
E) biomass.

Question 7

Nonrenewable energy is widely used to satisfy our energy needs mainly because of its

A) relative abundance.
B) transportability.
C) artificial cheapness.
D) all of these answers.
E) none of these answers.

Question 8

Once current oil reserves becomes too expensive to extract,the only energy option will be to

A) look for more oil.
B) use or waste less oil.
C) find replacement sources of energy.
D) all of these answers
E) none of these answers

Question 9

Petrochemicals are used to produce all but which of the following?

A) Pesticides
B) Cleaning products
C) Plastics
D) Firewood
E) Medicines

Question 10

The net energy of a resource is the total useful energy available from the resource over its lifetime minus the amount of energy used and wasted in ____ the resource.

A) transporting
B) finding
C) processing
D) extracting
E) all of these answers

Question 11

Noncommercial energy would include all of the following except

A) gathering fuelwood.
B) using a solar cooker.
C) gathering dung.
D) extracting oil.
E) installing a windmill.

Question 12

The nonrenewable energy source with the lowest net energy ratio

A) nuclear.
B) oil.
C) natural gas.
D) biomass.
E) coal.

Question 13

Of the OPEC nations,which country has the largest oil reserves?

A) Kuwait
B) Iraq
C) Iran
D) United Arab Emirates
E) Saudi Arabia

Question 14

Flaws of relying on oil include all but which one?

A) Contributes to global warming
B) Spills cause the destruction of nature
C) Use of oil causes contamination of groundwater supplies
D) Oil requires huge amount of land from which to extract it
E) Air pollution

Question 15

Distillation of crude oil can produce

A) asphalt.
B) heating oil.
C) diesel oil.
D) gasoline.
E) all of these answers.

Question 16

Kerogen is

A) the active ingredient in kerosene.
B) a waste product from the production of oil from oil shale.
C) a fuel supplement added to diesel oil.
D) the useful ingredient in oil shale.
E) sludge from sewage plants.

Question 17

A new energy resource has a net energy ratio of 0.2.Energy evaluators are most likely to recommend

A) using this energy resource immediately for transportation.
B) using this energy resource immediately for production of electricity.
C) minimizing use of this resource until net energy ratios for other energy alternatives become lower.
D) rejecting its use now and in the immediate future.
E) maximizing use of this resource until net energy ratios for other energy alternatives become higher.

Question 18

Petroleum,or crude oil,is a thick liquid consisting primarily of

A) hydrocarbon compounds.
B) nitrogen.
C) sulfur.
D) oxygen.
E) phosphorus.

Question 19

As oil resources are depleted,the net energy ratio of oil will

A) increase.
B) decrease.
C) remain steady.
D) be greater than one.
E) none of these answers.

Question 20

Most commercial energy comes from

A) direct solar energy.
B) indirect solar energy.
C) extracting and burning fossil fuels.
D) nuclear energy.
E) biomass.

Question 21

Advantages of shale oil as an energy source include all of the following except

A) large potential supplies.
B) easily transported between countries.
C) efficient distribution system already in place.
D) decrease dependence on foreign oil.
E) low net energy yield.

Question 22

Natural gas consists of all but

A) methane.
B) ethanol.
C) propane.
D) butane.
E) ethane.

Question 23

Bitumen is

A) a type of coal.
B) a deep shale oil deposit.
C) a high-sulfur heavy oil.
D) an octane-raising gasoline additive.
E) a type of natural gas.

Question 24

Shale oil and tar sands ____ than conventional oil deposits.

A) are easier to extract
B) have lower net useful energy yield
C) have less environmental impact
D) are the source of more useful products
E) are less expensive to produce

Question 25

Shale oil is

A) pure in its naturally occurring form.
B) a light oil found in ancient sand deposits.
C) extracted from the kerogen in oil shale.
D) the most economical oil supply.
E) a product of natural gas.

Question 26

Which of the following statements about synfuels is false?

A) They can be transported by pipeline.
B) They are more expensive than coal.
C) Their combustion, by itself, produces more air pollution than coal.
D) They are more versatile than coal.
E) They have large potential supply availability.

Question 27

The source of energy for nuclear power plants is

A) nuclear fusion.
B) breeder reactions.
C) nuclear fission.
D) nuclear confusion.
E) hydrogen fission.

Question 28

Natural gas

A) lies above most reservoirs of crude oil.
B) may be found underground as coal bed methane gas.
C) may be found underground trapped in arctic tundra permafrost as methane hydrates.
D) is burned off from remote areas where it is expensive to collect.
E) all of these answers.

Question 29

A key option during the switch from oil to other new energy sources is

A) coal.
B) nuclear energy.
C) biomass.
D) natural gas.
E) ethanol.

Question 30

____ is the dirtiest fossil fuel to burn.

A) Oil
B) Natural gas
C) Coal
D) Wood
E) Biomass

Question 31

Synfuels produced from coal are

A) less versatile fuels than solid coal.
B) available only in the United States.
C) generally expected to play a minor role as an energy resource.
D) the dirtiest burning of all fossil fuels.
E) readily available in underground reserves.

Question 32

Ionizing radiation resulting from nuclear fission includes

A) alpha particles.
B) beta particles.
C) gamma rays.
D) all of these answers
E) none of these answers

Question 33

The disadvantages of using natural gas consists of all the following except

A) it is a non renewable resource.
B) the net energy yield is high.
C) it releases CO₂ when burned.
D) it is often found far from where it will be used.
E) it can be converted into highly flammable LNG.

Question 34

Disadvantages of shale oil as an energy source include all of the following except

A) massive land disruption.
B) air and water pollution.
C) considerable energy input for the energy output obtained.
D) potential large supplies.
E) low grade energy.

Question 35

The world's most abundant conventional fossil fuel is

A) crude oil.
B) natural gas.
C) biomass.
D) coal.
E) wood.

Question 36

The form of coal or organic matter fuel with the highest heat content in the following list is

A) anthracite.
B) lignite.
C) peat.
D) bituminous coal.
E) manure.

Question 37

Which of the following fossil fuels has the greatest supply but also has the highest environmental impact?

A) Oil
B) Oil shale
C) Natural gas
D) Coal
E) Nuclear energy

Question 38

The majority of coal burned for electricity is consumed in

A) India
B) China.
C) the United States.
D) Japan.
E) Trinidad and Tobago.

Question 39

Most of the world's proven coal reserves are found in

A) the Middle East.
B) the United States, Russia and China.
C) Canada.
D) Mexico.
E) Pakistan.

Question 40

The largest tar-sand deposits can be found in

A) Canada.
B) Colombia.
C) Nigeria.
D) Venezuela.
E) Russia.

Question 41

The nuclear power industry in the United States has declined because of all but

A) high construction and operating costs.
B) public objections and concerns about safety.
C) concerns about radioactive waste disposal.
D) a decline in electricity demand.
E) poor management.

Question 42

Threats to nuclear power plants include all but which one?

A) Acts of terrorism
B) Power outages
C) Breakdowns
D) Mechanical breakdowns
E) Human errors

Question 43

Suggestions to handle high-level radioactive waste include

A) long-term deep repositories.
B) on-site storage.
C) building tombs around the facility.
D) transfer and storage to a permanent site.
E) all of these answers

Question 44

All of the following are methods of handling end-of-life nuclear power plants except

A) immediate dismantling.
B) entombment.
C) decomposition.
D) building a physical barrier.
E) extending its life.

Question 45

Which of the following is not an effect of Chernobyl?

A) Radioactive debris and dust released into the atmosphere
B) People exposed to dangerous radioactivity
C) Premature human deaths resulting from radiation
D) The immediate death of all people in the vicinity
E) Farm products unsafe to consume

Question 46

Which of the following is not associated with the harmful effects of exposure to nuclear radiation and waste?

A) Paralysis
B) Eye cataracts
C) Genetic defects
D) Miscarriages
E) Cancers

Question 47

Advantages to nuclear power include all but which one?

A) Abundant fuel supply
B) High net energy yield
C) Limited land use
D) Amply supplies of uranium
E) Less CO₂ emissions than fossil fuels

Question 48

The nuclear fuel cycle includes all of the following except

A) mining uranium.
B) building the plant and fabricating the fuel.
C) neutralizing the radioactive waste.
D) storing the radioactive waste.
E) decommissioning the power plant.

Question 49

All of the following are advantages of nuclear power except that there

A) are no emissions of air pollutants when working properly.
B) is low to moderate water pollution and land disruption when the fuel cycle works properly.
C) are minimal safety concerns throughout the fuel cycle.
D) are multiple back-up and safety features in nuclear power plants.
E) none of these answers

Question 50

Nuclear fusion

A) using deuterium and tritium isotopes requires extremely high temperatures.
B) occurs when two isotopes of an element are forced together releasing large amounts of energy.
C) does not yet produce commercial energy.
D) does not require bomb-grade materials.
E) all of these answers.

Question 51

Most of the energy used worldwide comes from renewable energy sources.

Question 52

A meltdown of the reactor core would occur if

A) control rods were inserted into the core.
B) too much coolant was lost.
C) the proportion of uranium-238 was too high.
D) the containment building developed an air leak.
E) a meltdown is now longer possible.

Question 53

Almost all the energy we use comes either directly or indirectly from the sun.

Question 54

Yucca Mountain nuclear depository in Nevada has been deemed unsafe by some scientists because of all but which of the following?

A) Rock fractures and cracks may allow water to leak into the site and corrode storage casks.
B) There is a risk of potential terrorist attack.
C) Water percolating into the mountain could carry radioactive waste into drinking-water wells and irrigation systems.
D) There is a risk of potential landslides.
E) It is located in a seismically active area.

Question 55

The most vulnerable area of a nuclear power plant to acts of terror and environmental contamination is/are the

A) control rods.
B) uranium mine.
C) pools and casks.
D) core.
E) containment shell.

Question 56

Which of the following is not part of a light-water reactor?

A) The core
B) Control rods
C) Fuel rods
D) The containment shell
E) The site for long-term storage of the waste

Question 57

Disadvantages to nuclear power include all but which one?

A) large government subsidies
B) large public support
C) low net energy yield
D) subject to extreme disaster
E) low cost does not include environmental factors

Question 58

Chernobyl resulted in all of the following except

A) evacuation of many families from land they had farmed for centuries.
B) separation of families from their domestic animals.
C) nuclear winter.
D) acute radiation sickness.
E) death.

Question 59

It takes energy to get energy.

Question 60

Currently,spent fuel rods used to power nuclear reactors are

A) stored on site outside of the reactor in steel-lined casks or water-filled pools.
B) sent to a national repository.
C) placed in metal drums and dumped deep in the ocean.
D) loaded into rockets and shot into space.
E) treated chemically to speed up the progression of half lives.

Question 61

The life cycle of a nuclear power plants provides low net energy.

Question 62

The U.S.has built and successfully tested an underground repository for nuclear waste storage.

Question 63

The cost of synfuels is presently too high to make them commercially attractive.

Question 64

The greater the net energy ratio,the greater the energy lost in getting the supply to the consumers.

Question 65

Nuclear power is not used extensively in the United States primarily because of the threat it poses to homeland security.

Question 66

The major types of coal vary in the amount of heat,carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide released per unit mass when they are burned.

Question 67

Petroleum and natural gas are the largest sources of energy for industrialized society.

Question 68

Love Canal is the site of the world's worst nuclear power plant accident.

Question 69

The United States uses a far greater proportion of the world's commercial energy per capita,compared to other nations.

Question 70

Future supplies of natural gas are likely to be more abundant than oil reserves.

Question 71

Producing synfuels requires mining more coal than used for directly for heating.

Question 72

The United States wastes almost none of its energy.

Question 73

Nuclear fusion produces about 85% of nuclear electricity worldwide.

Question 74

Non-toxic coal ash is used in cement and concrete,road paving and fertilizers.

Question 75

The USA can meet its growing oil needs by exploring and tapping domestic supplies in federal lands and coastal waters.

Question 76

Coal is more polluting but cheaper than oil.

Question 77

Combustion of natural gas produces more carbon dioxide per unit of energy produced than oil or coal.

Question 78

There are three major forms of fossil fuels: coal,oil,and natural gas.

Question 79

The world's dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels is affecting individual nation's economies.

Question 80

As oil prices rise,the cost of food,pesticides and plastics also rise.