Deck 20: Answers to Data Analysis Questions

Question 1

Which of the following is a documented negative impact of hydroelectric dams?

A) alteration of river sediment deposition
B) increased atmospheric CFCs
C) alteration of river salinity
D) decreased rainfall
E) acid deposition

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The run -of -river approach to hydropower often involves .

A) the purchase of state -run dams by major corporations
B) the most expensive type of dams to build and maintain
C) dams that are reliable but unsustainable
D) impounding water in reservoirs behind concrete dams
E) diversion of a portion of a river's flow through pipes

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following would produce a nuclear reaction?

A) bombarding uranium atoms with electrons
B) bombarding uranium -238 with protons
C) bombarding uranium -238 with neutrons
D) bombarding uranium -235 with neutrons
E) bombarding uranium -235 with protons

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Worldwide, the most widely used source of renewable energy for generating electricity is .

A) solar
B) hydroelectric
C) nuclear
D) wind
E) biomass

Question 5

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) will be a .

A) prototype nuclear fission reactor
B) project aiming to extract more energy from spent uranium
C) prototype nuclear fusion reactor
D) prototype reactor to decrease global temperatures by extracting nuclear gases from the atmosphere
E) prototype reactor fueled by rutherfordium rather than uranium

Question 6

What percentage of U.S. energy production is from renewable sources?

A) 9.8%
B) 18.4%
C) 2.4%
D) 4.9%
E) 7.4%

Question 7

The amount of energy generated by a hydroelectric dam depends largely on .

A) latitude
B) the volume of water released and the height of the fall
C) the phase and position of the moon
D) the temperature of water in the boiler and turbine
E) the temperature of reservoir water

Question 8

Effects attributed to Chernobyl .

A) include increased incidence of thyroid cancers
B) include increased incidence of emphysema
C) were contained within 40 km of the plant
D) include serious respiratory illnesses but no fatalities
E) have not been extensively documented

Question 9

Biomass energy is derived from .

A) water
B) the Earth's heat
C) the sun
D) organisms such as plants
E) wind

Question 10

One key advantage of hydropower is that .

A) it is the most economically feasible of all the renewable energy resources
B) it produces no negative environmental effects
C) it is the oldest of the renewable energy resources
D) it does not rely on fossil fuel to generate electricity
E) it is widely available throughout the world

Question 11

E -85 .

A) is an ethanol -gasoline mixture
B) is an isotope of uranium used to generate electricity
C) was an international summit of 85 nations that met to restrict greenhouse gas emissions
D) was an international summit of 85 nations that met to determine vehicle fuel efficiency standards
E) was an international summit of 85 nations that met to restrict CFC use

Question 12

Nuclear power plants in use today rely on .

A) fission reactions to generate heat to boil water to generate electricity
B) fusion reactions to generate heat to boil water to generate electricity
C) fusion reactions to directly generate electricity
D) fusion reactions to create a flow of electrons to generate electricity
E) fission reactions to directly generate electricity

Question 13

In the U.S., nuclear power experienced the most growth during which of the following decades?

A) 2000s
B) 1970s
C) 1960s
D) 1990s
E) 1950s

Question 14

Which of the following currently has the highest energy returned on investment (EROI)?

A) nuclear fission
B) nuclear fusion
C) petroleum
D) corn -based ethanol
E) hydropower

Question 15

is/are the source of energy used in the production of electricity by nuclear power plants.

A) Natural gas
B) Nuclear fusion
C) Breeder reactions
D) Nuclear fission
E) Nuclear reactions

Question 16

From 2000 to 2015, which of the following shows the greatest rate of increase in use in the U.S.?

A) coal
B) oil
C) nuclear power
D) natural gas
E) hydropower

Question 17

A self -amplifying reaction and a nuclear explosion in a nuclear power plant are prevented in large part by .

A) the production of plutonium -239
B) fuel rods that absorb tremendous amounts of heat
C) the regular addition of uranium -239 to the fuel
D) control rods that absorb neutrons
E) "sponges" that absorb liquefied uranium that leaks out of the reactor core

Question 18

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 _.

A) permits dams of no more than 10 feet in height to be built along a designated waterway
B) is an agreement between the United States and Canada to protect rivers that cross the boundary between the two countries
C) protects a designated waterway from being dammed
D) no longer protects waterways because the act has been repealed to build more hydroelectric dams
E) limits dams to no less than 5 miles apart

Question 19

U.S. hydroelectric dam construction peaked during the .

A) late 1800s
B) 1980s
C) early 21st century
D) 1960s
E) Industrial Revolution

Question 20

Between 1995 and 2000, .

A) bioenergy consumption increased rapidly
B) oil consumption exceeded nuclear, hydropower, and biomass combined
C) coal consumption decreased
D) fossil fuel use stabilized
E) there was a clear transition from nonrenewable toward renewable energy resources

Question 21

Which of the following countries leads the world in nuclear power capacity?

A) Sweden
B) France
C) Canada
D) United States
E) Russia

Question 22

Most of the world's ethanol is produced in the U.S. and

A) Mexico
B) China
C) Brazil
D) the Maldives
E) Tuvalu

Question 23

Vegetable oil _.

A) is nonrenewable
B) is a necessary ingredient in biodiesel
C) is a fossil fuel
D) can be directly burned as fuel
E) must be processed into biodiesel to operate engines

Question 24

As a fuel, biodiesel .

A) requires moderate engine retrofitting prior to use
B) has been met with considerable resistance by American farmers
C) has low lubricity
D) is a beneficial alternative for buses
E) is less efficient than petrodiesel because it has a low energy yield

Question 25

EROI is a measure of .

A) the amount of electricity received from an energy source
B) the amount of electricity required to extract the energy from a power source such as coal
C) the amount of energy invested into a source of energy compared to the amount of energy received from the source
D) the quality of energy released in the combustion of a certain kind of fuel
E) the energy needed to balance out the amount of energy emitted by an energy source

Question 26

Sweden had to rescind its pledge to replace completely nuclear power with renewable energy because _ .

A) the Copenhagen Conference of 2010 rescinded the Kyoto agreements
B) the pollution from wind and hydroelectric generators had contaminated groundwater
C) they found a way to rapidly detoxify nuclear wastes
D) renewable energy was taking longer to develop than expected
E) there was a strong public demand to return to fossil fuels

Question 27

Which of the following countries has the highest percentage of electricity generated from nuclear power plants?

A) France
B) Canada
C) United States
D) Sweden
E) Russia

Question 28

Whether using a food crop as a source of biofuels is environmentally sustainable would depend upon all of the following, EXCEPT _ .

A) the impact on food supplies and prices
B) the amount of water and land necessary for the crops
C) the corporate profits that would be made
D) the amount of fertilizers used and their impact on aquatic ecosystems
E) the amount of pesticides used and their impact on biodiversity and groundwater

Question 29

A major barrier preventing more widespread use of biodiesel is/are .

A) the lack of support from the public
B) the excessive cost
C) political and economic inertia and current lack of abundant fueling stations
D) the lack of government support
E) a readily available supply of domestic petroleum

Question 30

B20 represents .

A) a bacterial strain used to ferment corn to make ethanol
B) a diesel fuel blend of 20% biodiesel to 80% petrodiesel
C) a synthetic compound that can be mixed with fossil fuel to give more energy
D) a new vitamin recently isolated from sugar cane bagasse
E) a variety of broccoli used in the production of cellulosic ethanol

Question 31

A hydroelectric dam contains all of the following EXCEPT .

A) a combustion chamber
B) generators
C) rotors
D) magnets
E) turbines

Question 32

Although hydroelectric dams generate electricity without producing greenhouse gases, they .

A) contribute only about 5% of the electrical power throughout the world
B) still produce more greenhouse gases per unit of electricity produced than coal power plants
C) can harm aquatic organisms downstream by affecting water temperature
D) cannot provide a consistent supply of electricity during times of naturally low river flow
E) are short -lived structures that have to be rebuilt about every 20 years

Question 33

In a nuclear power plant, the amount of electricity generated is regulated by .

A) changing the water levels that surround the control rods
B) the Federal Trade Commission
C) moving control rods into or out of spaces between the fuel rods
D) moving the nuclear fuel in and out of water
E) releasing surplus heat out of cooling towers that are always part of nuclear power plants

Question 34

Globally, almost 80% of all primary energy for today's economies comes from .

A) solar, wind, and ocean tides and waves
B) fossil fuels
C) hydropower installations
D) biofuels
E) nuclear power