Deck 16: Protection Water and Air Resources

Question 1

Which of the following locations would you expect to find the highest water table?

A) a marsh
B) a desert
C) a mountainous area
D) a pasture
E) All of the above have same water table.

Answer 1

a marsh

Question 2

Which of the following soil types would you expect to take the longest time to become saturated?

A) loosely packed soil with a large amount of humus in it
B) tightly packed soil with a large amount of humus in it
C) loosely packed soil with a large amount of clay in it
D) tightly packed soil with a large amount of clay in it
E) All of the above will become saturated at the same rate.

Answer 2

loosely packed soil with a large amount of humus in it

Question 3

Where is most of the liquid fresh water on the earth stored?

A) the oceans
B) underground
C) in minerals
D) in lakes and streams
E) in the atmosphere

Answer 3

underground

Question 4

Which of the following soil types would you expect to become saturated the quickest?

A) loosely packed soil with a large amount of humus in it
B) tightly packed soil with a large amount of humus in it
C) loosely packed soil with a large amount of clay in it
D) tightly packed soil with a large amount of clay in it
E) All of the above will become saturated at the same rate.

Question 5

Which of the following does not describe an aquifer?

A) Aquifers contain less water than surface water sources.
B) Aquifers change depth depending on rainfall.
C) Aquifers can be lowered.
D) All of the above are true.
E) None of the above are true.

Question 6

What powers the hydrologic cycle?

A) solar energy
B) wind energy
C) gravity
D) nuclear fission
E) none of the above

Question 7

Where is most of the water on the earth stored?

A) the oceans
B) the ice caps
C) in minerals
D) in lakes and streams
E) in the atmosphere

Question 8

The upper boundary of an underground zone of saturated water is called ________.

A) the aquifer
B) the subterranean surface
C) the surface recharge
D) the water table

Question 9

There are 1.2 × 10²¹ liters of water on Earth. Why do we need to conserve water?

A) Only an incredibly tiny amount of that water is usable.
B) The growing population of the earth means more water is need each day.
C) Many of the water sources are shared.
D) Water has many different uses.
E) all of the above

Question 10

What is the ultimate fate of all water in the hydrologic cycle?

A) It returns to the ocean.
B) It becomes stored in chemical compounds.
C) It becomes locked into icecaps.
D) It is absorbed by the earth.
E) It is stored in the atmosphere as clouds.

Question 11

Which natural law is illustrated by the fact that the fertilizers we use can contaminate the water supply?

A) law of conservation of mass
B) law of definite proportions
C) law of the conservation of energy
D) Avogadro's law
E) all of the above

Question 12

What is the initial step of the hydrologic cycle?

A) evaporation of water from the oceans
B) evaporation of water from land masses
C) condensation of water in the form of clouds
D) precipitation of water onto land
E) precipitation of water back into the oceans

Question 13

Which of the following locations would you expect to find the lowest water table?

A) a marsh
B) a desert
C) a mountainous area
D) a pasture
E) All of the above have same water table.

Question 14

Which of the following pathways of the hydrologic cycle has the most branches?

A) precipitation over the oceans
B) precipitation over land masses
C) locking away of water as ice in the ice caps
D) percolation of water through the earth
E) All of the above have same level of complexity.

Question 15

How is ground water replenished?

A) precipitation
B) surface tension pulls water up out of the ground
C) diffusion of ocean water into the ground at the seashore
D) melting of the icecaps
E) all of the above

Question 16

Where is most of the fresh water on the earth stored?

A) the oceans
B) the ice caps
C) underground
D) in lakes and streams
E) in the atmosphere

Question 17

Which of the following is not a step in the water cycle?

A) consumption of water
B) sweating
C) evaporation
D) precipitation
E) All of the above are steps in the water cycle.

Question 18

Which of the following is groundwater?

A) an aquifer
B) a river
C) a lake
D) a spring
E) all of the above

Question 19

Which of the following statements accurately describes the the water table?

A) A lake is just the point where the contour of land is lower than the water table.
B) A lake is just the point where the contour of land is higher than the water table.
C) A river is much higher than the water table.
D) The water table does not contain groundwater.
E) none of the above

Question 20

How does soil hold water?

A) It is held in the space between soil particles by capillary action.
B) It is held in the space between soil particles by covalent bonding.
C) It is absorbed into the soil particles.
D) It is not held by soil at all and percolates away.
E) none of the above

Question 21

Removal of groundwater can cause subsidence. If the water removal is stopped, will the land likely rise to its original level?

A) Yes, because it was only the removal of water that resulted in the subsidence.
B) No, subsidence causes the ground to become more compact, hence it is not able to hold as much water as it once did.
C) Yes, but only if the aquifer hasn't already been depleted.
D) No, the land usually rises above its original level because subsidence has the effect of loosening soils, hence it increases their capacity to hold water.

Question 22

Look at a map of any part of the world, and you'll see that older cities are either next to rivers or next to where rivers used to be. Why?

A) The water allowed for the easy transportation of people and goods in and out of the city.
B) A dense population is only possible with a sufficient supply of fresh water.
C) The water allowed efficient removal of wastes.
D) All of the above are true.

Question 23

Which of the following is the most detrimental?

A) bacterial sewage flowing through sand
B) bacterial sewage flowing through loose sediments
C) bacterial sewage flowing through unsaturated soil
D) all of the above
E) only a and b

Question 24

What are the two biggest sources of water consumption in the U.S.?

A) energy production and irrigation
B) irrigation and livestock
C) irrigation and domestic use
D) industrial use and domestic use
E) none of the above

Question 25

How would you describe the average daily consumption of water by the U.S. population at large in the past 20 years?

A) It has decreased due to reduction in industrial use.
B) It has decreased due to improvements in agricultural use.
C) It has decreased due to decreasing population.
D) It has increased.

Question 26

From 1980 to 2005 total water consumption in the United States ________.

A) increased
B) decreased
C) remained about the same
D) varied markedly

Question 27

Where does most rainfall on the earth finally end up before becoming rain again?

A) groundwater
B) lakes and rivers
C) snow caps and glaciers
D) the oceans

Question 28

Are our bodies apart from or a part of the water cycle?

A) By definition, the water cycle takes place only in the environment.
B) We have such a small effect on the water cycle that for all practical purposes it is best to say that we are apart from the water cycle.
C) Only our clothes go into the washing machine, hence we are apart from the water cycle.
D) We are a part of the water cycle just as we are a part of the environment.

Question 29

Why did the amount of fresh water we collectively consume start decreasing after 1980?

A) Mandatory water rationing was imposed by the federal government to the individual states.
B) Water used to produce electricity was dramatically reduced because of the development of new technology.
C) New and improved irrigation techniques were put into effect in 1980.
D) Water companies began installing water "governors" on all residential housing in 1980.

Question 30

Withdrawal of groundwater for irrigation in the San Joaquin Valley of California caused the water table to drop by 75 meters. Pumping has been greatly reduced, the aquifer is slowly recharging, and water for irrigation is now provided by canals that bring water from the adjacent Sierra Nevada. What else might be done to insure an adequate water supply for the foreseeable future?

A) Local governments could establish water conservation ordinances.
B) Local agriculture could practice water-conserving irrigation techniques.
C) People dependent on the agriculture of this region could eat less meat.
D) all of the above

Question 31

Which of the following types of contamination is most detrimental to fresh water supply?

A) contaminated groundwater
B) a contaminated lake
C) a contaminated river
D) a point source of pollution
E) All of the above are equally problematic.

Question 32

How is most of the water consumed by individuals in the United States actually used?

A) We rinse it down the sink, tub, or toilet.
B) We drink it.
C) We use it to water our lawns.
D) It evaporates.
E) none of the above

Question 33

The oceans are salt water, and yet evaporation over the ocean surface produces clouds that precipitate fresh water. Explain.

A) Salt ions are too attracted to the liquid water to evaporate.
B) Fresh rainwater falls only after the salts have been removed by the action of the clouds.
C) The salts are too heavy to evaporate with the water.
D) Two of the above are reasonable answers.

Question 34

Which of the following would be a nonpoint source of pollution?

A) waste water pipes of a factory
B) runoff from an agricultural community
C) sewer water rinsed off the freeway
D) all of the above
E) only b and c

Question 35

Which of the following values reflects the approximate daily use of water by a person in the U.S.?

A) 400 liters/day
B) 40 liters/day
C) 4 liters/day
D) 1 liter/day
E) none of the above

Question 36

Are polar or nonpolar chemical compounds more often found in a leachate?

A) polar compounds
B) nonpolar compounds
C) both polar and nonpolar compounds
D) neither polar nor nonpolar compounds

Question 37

Water consumption from all aquifers, on average, is less than the amount of water returned to the aquifer by natural processes. Why should we worry about water use?

A) The average amount does not reflect that drier areas have a harder time refilling the aquifers.
B) Because the water returned is contaminated.
C) The average amount does not take into account the water consumed during photosynthesis to make carbohydrates.
D) Water is nothing to worry about.
E) none of the above

Question 38

Which of the following would be a point source of pollution?

A) waste water pipes of a factory
B) runoff from an agricultural community
C) sewer water rinsed off the freeway
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 39

Why is pollution of groundwater a greater environmental hazard than pollution of surface water?

A) The opposite is true. Surface water is a greater hazard because it is more integrated into our environment.
B) The opposite is true. Surface water moves more rapidly and, hence, is more difficult to treat.
C) Groundwater is much more vast, moves slowly, and is not as accessible.
D) Photosynthetic organisms in groundwater can die off no longer producing the oxygen we need.

Question 40

Which of the following effects can be observed most readily when removing extensive amounts of water from an aquifer?

A) The land above the aquifer subsides.
B) The land above the aquifer becomes more fertile.
C) The land expands because the voids in the soil fill with air.
D) The water content of the soil increases.
E) none of the above

Question 41

If algae are oxygen-producing aquatic life, why does overproduction lead to a decrease in oxygen content of the water?

A) They consume more oxygen than they produce.
B) They block the absorption of oxygen at the surface of the water.
C) They block the light needed by photosynthetic aquatic life.
D) none of the above
E) both a and b

Question 42

What is the cause of the following symptom of pollution? There is a sharp drop in oxygen content but there is no algal bloom.

A) Inorganic fertilizers were released nearby.
B) Organic matter was released nearby.
C) There is no oxygen in the water.
D) Anaerobic bacteria are consuming most of the nutrients in the water.
E) none of the above

Question 43

A stagnant pond smells worse than a babbling brook because ________.

A) odors are not transported downstream
B) of the type of aquatic life it attracts
C) it lacks sufficient dissolved oxygen
D) all of the above

Question 44

Is the decomposition of food by bacteria in our digestive systems aerobic or anaerobic?

A) Aerobic because of all the oxygen we inhale.
B) Anaerobic because very little air gets to our intestines.
C) Aerobic as evidenced by all the air that gets generated in our intestines.
D) Anaerobic as we generally rest after a good meal.

Question 45

Place the following events in most likely chronological order: 1. The oxygen content drops enough to kill most animals but not all of the plants.
2) A bunch of inorganic ions were released upstream of a pond.
3) Anaerobic bacteria start to dominate the population of living creatures.
4) Aerobic bacteria start to dominate the population of living creatures.
5) Algae start to dominate the population of living creatures.

A) 2, 5, 1, 4, 3
B) 3, 2, 1, 4, 5
C) 5, 1, 2, 4, 3
D) 2, 4, 1, 5, 3
E) none of the above

Question 46

Which of the following is not a product generated by aerobic bacteria?

A) O₂
B) CO₂
C) H₂O
D) nitrates
E) sulfates

Question 47

What is the cause of the following symptom of pollution? The water smells very bad and there are no fish.

A) Inorganic fertilizers were released nearby.
B) Organic matter was released nearby.
C) The water has undergone eutrophication.
D) Anaerobic bacteria are consuming most of the nutrients in the water.
E) none of the above

Question 48

What is the first step in treating raw sewage?

A) filtration of solids
B) removal of fine particles by settling
C) removal of grit by settling
D) removal of sludge
E) disinfection

Question 49

Which of the following statements is true?

A) Aerobic and anaerobic bacteria decay organic matter.
B) Anaerobic bacteria only function in the presence of oxygen.
C) Aerobic bacteria produce oxygen as one of their decomposition products.
D) Aerobic bacteria produce bad smelling compounds.
E) all of the above

Question 50

Which of the following statements about natural waters is untrue?

A) The microorganisms in fresh water are harmful.
B) Microorganisms help replenish the nutrients in the water.
C) Aerobic bacteria only decompose organic matter in the presence of oxygen.
D) all of the above
E) only a and b

Question 51

What is the cause of the following symptom of pollution? A lake is covered with a thick mat of green algae.

A) Inorganic fertilizers were released nearby.
B) Organic matter was released nearby.
C) There is no oxygen in the water.
D) Anaerobic bacteria are consuming most of the nutrients in the water.
E) none of the above

Question 52

How might a water pump be used in the treatment of a small pond affected by eutrophication? What should be done to the pond before the pump is used?

A) The water could be sprayed into the air, but first the aquatic life should be treated for diseases.
B) The water could be circulated to help dissolve the algal bloom, but first the source of eutrophication should be identified and stopped.
C) The water could be sprayed into the air, but first the source of eutrophication should be identified and stopped.
D) The water could be circulated to help dissolve the algal bloom, but first the aquatic life should be treated for diseases.

Question 53

Does the concentration of chlorine in drinking water tend to increase or decrease as it leaves the water treatment plant and disperses into the community? Why?

A) Increases. As the chlorine reacts with the bacteria in the water, more chlorine is produced.
B) Increases. As the water evaporates the chlorine concentration would increase in the remaining water.
C) Decreases. Evaporative processes and reaction with organic bacteria would decrease the chlorine concentration.
D) Neither. The chlorine concentration in the water does not vary as the water is dispersed into the community.

Question 54

Phosphates were once a common component of laundry detergents because they soften water. Why has their use been restricted?

A) The phosphates are poisonous to plants.
B) The phosphates are plant nutrients that lead to excess algae growth.
C) The phosphates were getting into human drinking supplies.
D) The phosphates diminished the supply of calcium found in cow's milk.

Question 55

What is the easiest way to eliminate organic components?

A) Aerate the solution and let bacteria consume the organics.
B) Treat the solution with UV radiation.
C) Filter the solution through activated carbon filters.
D) reverse osmosis
E) all of the above

Question 56

If organic matter is useful in water as a nutrient source, why does excess organic matter lead to a decrease in aquatic life?

A) Aerobic bacteria feed on all the organic mater and use up all the oxygen.
B) Anaerobic bacteria feed on the organic matter and populations increase, leading to consumption of all the food.
C) Anaerobic bacteria eat all the aerobic bacteria, which leads to loss of oxygen in the water.
D) The excess organic matter blocks light, which leads to a decrease in photosynthesis and causes a drop in oxygen production.
E) none of the above

Question 57

Groundwater can be contaminated by bacteria and other pathogens that seep from septic tanks, broken sewer lines, and barnyard wastes. In many instances, however, this is not a serious health problem even in the presence of a large population. Why?

A) Without sunlight, the pathogens generally die out.
B) Most municipalities have alert systems to warn people of an outbreak.
C) The soil itself may serve to filter out the pathogens.
D) The diseases spread by these pathogens are not typically contagious.

Question 58

Which of the following statements about sewage is not true?

A) All municipalities must treat sewage the same way.
B) All municipalities must treat sewage.
C) Once treated, sewage is released to the environment.
D) Treated sewage becomes drinking water downstream.
E) None of the above are true.

Question 59

Why is secondary treatment often needed for sewage?

A) The dissolved organics are too high and lead to bacterial growth.
B) The solution is contaminated with dangerous bacteria.
C) There are too many dissolved inorganic compounds.
D) There are too many finely divided particles that need to be filtered.
E) none of the above

Question 60

Why do nutrient ions like nitrate and phosphate often lead to a decrease in aquatic life?

A) Algae grow rapidly and use up all the oxygen.
B) Aerobic bacteria grow rapidly and use up all the oxygen.
C) Anaerobic bacteria grow rapidly and use up all the oxygen.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 61

Where does most of the solid mass of raw sewage end up after being collected at a treatment facility?

A) It is injected into the water table.
B) It is buried in landfills.
C) It is sold to farmers for fertilizer.
D) It is tapped for the generation of methane gas.

Question 62

The depth of the atmosphere is about 30 km. If the diameter of the earth is 13,000 km, what percentage of the earth is atmosphere?

A) 0.2 percent
B) 2 percent
C) 1 percent
D) 20 percent
E) 50 percent

Question 63

How do advanced integrated ponds for waste water treatment take advantage of solar energy?

A) by letting plants use it to consume waste
B) by using it to heat solar stills
C) by using it to power blowers
D) by using it to power sludge stirring devices
E) all of the above

Question 64

What keeps energetic gas molecules from escaping into space?

A) gravity
B) interatomic forces
C) nuclear forces
D) solar radiation
E) magnetic field

Question 65

The process by which inorganic wastes lead to rapid growth of algae and other plants with the subsequent reduction of oxygen content in the water is called ________.

A) eutrophication
B) oxygen depletion
C) reverse osmosis
D) anaerobic respiration
E) photosynthesis

Question 66

What is an advantage of using chlorine gas to disinfect drinking water supplies?

A) It provides residual protection against pathogens.
B) It gives the water a fresh taste.
C) Residual chlorine in water helps to whiten teeth.
D) Excess chlorine is absorbed in our bodies as a mineral supplement.

Question 67

Which of the following statements describes the air in Death Valley, CA, which is 86 meters below sea level?

A) The density of the air is higher.
B) The pressure is lower.
C) There is less protection from UV radiation.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 68

Why is flushing a toilet with clean water from a municipal supply about as wasteful as flushing it with bottled water?

A) Bottled water is typically made from municipal water.
B) Municipal water and bottle water have about the same level of purity.
C) Both the bottled water and municipal water are generally free of pathogens.
D) all of the above

Question 69

If you have a leaky faucet dripping at a rate of one drop per second (drip drip drip) and it takes 20 drops to equal one mL, how many liters of water do you waste per year

A) 1,500 L
B) 100 L
C) 10 L
D) 1 L
E) 20 L

Question 70

What excites the gas molecules of the atmosphere and provides them with kinetic energy?

A) solar radiation
B) fission radiation
C) geothermal energy
D) wind energy
E) none of the above

Question 71

In your travels through space, if you were to encounter a planet that was small and had no atmosphere, what might have happened?

A) The planet's atmosphere escaped into space because the force of gravity was too low.
B) The planet's atmosphere escaped because it was heated too hot and boiled into space.
C) The atmosphere never formed because there was not enough heat energy available.
D) Only planets with life have an atmosphere.
E) none of the above

Question 72

How is most of the energy required for secondary waste water treatment consumed?

A) as electricity to power air pumps for aeration
B) as electricity to illuminate UV lamps
C) as heat to run distillation equipment
D) as electricity to power hydraulic pumps for reverse osmosis
E) none of the above

Question 73

Why is airborne pollution problematic?

A) Air moves, so pollutants released in one location end up everywhere.
B) It makes the sunsets too red.
C) It leads to blocking of sunlight and cooling of the planet.
D) It escapes into space.
E) all of the above

Question 74

Why are there few odors emanating from a properly managed composting toilet?

A) Tight seals prevent the escape of odors.
B) Odors are absorbed by a layer of water.
C) Decomposition is aerobic.
D) The ventilation system steers odors through a carbon filter.

Question 75

The measure of the amount of oxygen consumed by certain bacteria is the ________, which is also a measure of the dissolved organic material.

A) biochemical oxygen demand
B) osmotic pressure
C) partial pressure
D) leachate
E) water table

Question 76

In your travels through space, if you were to encounter a planet that was very large but had no atmosphere, what might have happened?

A) The planet's atmosphere escaped into space because the force of gravity was too low.
B) The planet's atmosphere escaped because it was heated too hot and boiled into space.
C) The atmosphere never formed because there was not enough heat energy available.
D) Only planets with life have an atmosphere.
E) none of the above

Question 77

In your travels through space, if you were to encounter a planet that was large but had no atmosphere, only pools of liquid, what might have happened?

A) The planet's atmosphere escaped into space because the force of gravity was too low.
B) The planet's atmosphere escaped because it was heated too hot and boiled into space.
C) The atmosphere never formed because there was not enough heat energy available.
D) Only planets with life have an atmosphere.
E) none of the above

Question 78

How are the disinfecting properties of ultraviolet light and ozone similar to each other?

A) Both provide residual protection against pathogens.
B) Both are relatively effective at destroying bacteria but not viruses.
C) Neither provides residual protection against pathogens.
D) Both are relatively effective at destroying viruses but not bacteria.

Question 79

What prevents an urban or suburban community from developing an advanced integrated pond system?

A) The community needs access to wide areas of land.
B) The community needs access to lots of sunshine.
C) The community must be open to doing something different with their wastewater.
D) all of the above

Question 80

If the earth were the size of an apple, which piece would best represent the amount of mass of the atmosphere?

A) the skin
B) a seed
C) the meat
D) the stem
E) Oops.... I am sorry. I just ate the Pacific Ocean by mistake.