Deck 4: Energy and the Future

Question 1

Since 1900 the world's population has increased by

A)about 50 percent.
B)about 100 percent.
C)about 200 percent.
D)over 400 percent.

Answer 1

over 400 percent.

Question 2

If present trends in population and greenhouse gas emissions continue, the earth's surface temperature will increase by at least a catastrophic 4 ^$\circ$ C by the year

A)2020.
B)2050.
C)2100.
D)2500.

Answer 2

2100.

Question 3

The world's largest importer of oil is

A)the United States.
B)China.
C)India.
D)Russia.

Answer 3

the United States.

Question 4

Of the following energy sources, the one most likely to run out of reserves first is

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

Question 5

A projection to 2083 suggests that 10 billion might then be the population of

A)the United States.
B)India.
C)China.
D)the world.

Question 6

The contribution of fossil fuels to world energy supply is about

A)25 percent.
B)62 percent.
C)87 percent.
D)95 percent.

Question 7

Arrange these fuels in increasing order of energy given off per gram when they are burned. 1.gasoline
2)hydrogen
3)coal
4)ethanol

A)4, 3, 1, 2
B)2, 1, 3, 4
C)1, 2, 3, 4
D)3, 1, 2, 4

Question 8

The earth's atmosphere is mainly heated by

A)visible light radiated by the sun.
B)infrared light radiated by the sun.
C)infrared light radiated by the earth.
D)hot exhaust gases from burning fossil fuels.

Question 9

Which of these statements is not true for oil from tar sands?

A)Tar sands contain more oil than reserves of ordinary crude oil.
B)Oil from tar sands costs more per barrel than ordinary crude oil.
C)Producing oil from tar sands involves emitting less carbon dioxide than extracting crude oil does.
D)The amount of oil produced from tar sands is expected to more than double by 2030.

Question 10

Methane is the chief constituent of

A)natural gas.
B)gasoline.
C)diesel fuel.
D)ethanol.

Question 11

Average energy use per person in the United States today is about

A)730 W.
B)7.3 kW.
C)930 kW.
D)9.3 MW.

Question 12

World energy use in 2035 is expected to be

A)less than in 2015.
B)about the same as in 2015.
C)about 1/3 more than in 2015.
D)about twice as in 2015.

Question 13

If the Antarctic and Greenland icecaps melt completely, sea level will rise

A)mainly in the tropical regions.
B)mainly in the polar regions.
C)everywhere by about 1 m.
D)everywhere by more than 10 m.

Question 14

The two countries together responsible for about 40 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions are

A)the United States and China.
B)the United States and India.
C)the United States and Russia.
D)China and Russia.

Question 15

Of the following greenhouse gases, the least important is/are

A)carbon dioxide.
B)CFC and HCFC refrigeration gases.
C)nitrous oxide.
D)methane.

Question 16

Seventy percent of the world's oil production is used for

A)heating.
B)electricity generation.
C)transportation fuel.
D)chemical products.

Question 17

Average energy use per person in the United States today is about

A)the same as the world average.
B)50 percent more than the world average.
C)4 times the world average.
D)10 times the world average.

Question 18

Arrange these sources in increasing order of the amount of energy they supply to the world today. 1.coal
2)oil
3)natural gas
4)nuclear

A)4, 3, 1, 2
B)1, 3, 2, 4
C)2, 1, 3, 4
D)3, 4, 1, 2

Question 19

Solar radiation is ultimately responsible for

A)wind energy.
B)geothermal energy.
C)nuclear energy.
D)tidal energy.

Question 20

After electricity generation and heating, the next most important source of greenhouse gas emissions is

A)transport.
B)industry.
C)agriculture.
D)deforestation.

Question 21

An unsolved problem for nuclear energy is

A)greenhouse gas emissions.
B)fuel supply.
C)acid rain.
D)permanent waste disposal.

Question 22

Fuel cells

A)store energy.
B)need regular recharging with electric current.
C)need continuous supplies of fuel.
D)produce hydrogen from water.

Question 23

Mercury absorbed in the body damages the nervous system and is especially harmful to unborn children.Pollution by mercury is one result of burning

A)natural gas.
B)gasoline.
C)diesel fuel.
D)coal.

Question 24

The proportion of the world's electricity that comes from nuclear energy is about

A)1/20.
B)1/6.
C)1/3.
D)1/2.

Question 25

Which statement does not apply to nuclear fusion?

A)It is the energy source of the sun and stars.
B)It has produced energy in the laboratory.
C)It is expected to produce more radioactive waste than nuclear fission.
D)Its fuel supply is almost unlimited.

Question 26

The fossil fuel least polluting to burn is

A)natural gas.
B)gasoline.
C)diesel fuel.
D)coal.

Question 27

The proportion of the world's electricity that comes from wind turbines is roughly

A)3 percent.
B)10 percent.
C)20 percent.
D)30 percent.

Question 28

A promising method of preventing the escape into the atmosphere of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel power plants is to

A)pump it into underground reservoirs.
B)pump it into lakes and rivers.
C)make syngas from it.
D)convert it to carbon monoxide in special furnaces.

Question 29

The renewable energy source that seems to have the most worldwide potential is

A)wind.
B)geothermal.
C)hydropower.
D)solar.

Question 30

The world's fastest-growing source of clean energy is

A)wind.
B)geothermal.
C)hydropower.
D)solar.

Question 31

Environmental concerns are the most important factor in limiting the expansion of which of the following energy sources?

A)wind
B)geothermal
C)hydropower
D)solar

Question 32

Which of the following statements is not true?

A)Coal-fired power plants in the United States produce almost half of its electricity.
B)Over 1000 new coal-fired power plants are newly built or under construction in the world.
C)The United States has less than 5 percent of the world's coal reserves.
D)Coal is cheaper per unit of energy released when it is burned than any other fossil fuel.

Question 33

The normal lifetime of a nuclear power reactor is

A)10-20 years.
B)40-60 years.
C)50-100 years.
D)over 100 years.

Question 34

Burning coal does not cause the release into the environment of

A)sulfuric acid.
B)nitric acid.
C)arsenic.
D)less carbon dioxide per unit of energy than other fossil fuels.

Question 35

At present, the source of most electricity from moving water is

A)dams in rivers.
B)tidal flows.
C)ocean waves.
D)ocean currents.

Question 36

The energy the world uses in a year is comparable with the energy that arrives from the sun every

A)hour.
B)day.
C)week.
D)month.

Question 37

Of these sources, which is responsible for the most energy today?

A)tidal
B)geothermal
C)hydropower
D)solar

Question 38

The renewable energy source that requires the most area for a given power output is

A)biofuel.
B)solar.
C)wind.
D)hydropower.

Question 39

In a good wind, a modern large wind turbine might have a power output of

A)2 kW.
B)20 kW.
C)200 kW.
D)2000 kW.

Question 40

In fracking, natural gas trapped in rock formations is released by

A)pumping the gas out with suction pumps.
B)melting the rock with hot oil.
C)breaking up the rock with explosives.
D)breaking up the rock with water under high pressure.

Question 41

Algae are able to make diesel fuel through photosynthesis using as a raw material

A)hydrogen.
B)carbon dioxide.
C)gasoline.
D)coal.

Question 42

It seems possible that a serious effort to improve the efficiency of electricity use in the United States could reduce its consumption of electric energy by

A)5 percent.
B)10 percent.
C)25 percent.
D)50 percent.

Question 43

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are more efficient than incandescent light bulbs

A)but do not last as long.
B)and last about as long.
C)and last longer.
D)any of these depending on the bulb's power.

Question 44

A factor that helps prevent the widespread use of hydrogen as a fuel is

A)the need to first separate hydrogen from one of its chemical compounds, such as water.
B)the greenhouse gas produced when it combines with oxygen.
C)the small amount of energy liberated when it combines with oxygen.
D)its inability to be used in fuel cells.

Question 45

Eventually, if bioethanol remains in use, it will probably be made from

A)corn.
B)sugar cane.
C)cellulose.
D)natural gas.

Question 46

In the United States, the lowest cost per unit of electrical output in the immediate future would come from using which of these energy sources?

A)coal
B)nuclear
C)natural gas
D)hydro

Question 47

In the United States, bioethanol from corn is added to gasoline for vehicle fuel because

A)it is cheap to produce.
B)its production uses little energy.
C)its production releases little carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
D)government action favors its production and use.

Question 48

International agreements thus far

A)include binding limits on carbon dioxide emissions.
B)include a halt in the construction of new coal-burning power plants.
C)will keep average global temperatures from rising more than 2 ^$\circ$ C by 2100.
D)call for future emission promises.