Deck 13: Energy Resources

Question 1

The United States has enough wind potential to meet an estimated 16 to 22 times its current electricity needs.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Hydropower has a low net energy yield.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Some experts recommend developing nuclear power that uses thorium instead of uranium as a safer option that does not produce waste that can be used in weapons.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

LED bulbs last up to 25 times as long as incandescent bulbs.

Question 5

The United States wastes very little of its commercial energy because of recent advances in energy efficiency.

Question 6

The three countries with the largest proven oil reserves in 2015 were Canada, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia.

Question 7

Although improvements in energy efficiency can save some lost energy, some energy loss is unavoidable.

Question 8

The initial amount of low-quality energy contained within an energy resource is its net energy yield.

Question 9

Nuclear fission is a process where the nuclei of two isotopes of a light element are forced together at an extremely high temperature until they fuse to form a heavier nucleus with a release of energy that can be used to produce commercial energy.

Question 10

If not used, the world's proven oil reserves will be the same in 50 years.

Question 11

A spent fuel rod is one that is no longer radioactive.

Question 12

Power towers are used to collect and focus energy onto photovoltaic cells arranged in a circle around the tower.

Question 13

Production and delivery of natural gas may emit more CO₂and CH₄per unit of energy produced than the burning of coal for commercial energy.

Question 14

The nuclear fuel cycle has a low net energy yield.

Question 15

Ethanol is a promising fuel for automobiles because it has a higher net energy yield than gasoline.

Question 16

Hydrogen fuel cells may be the key to the future for automobiles, mostly because of their positive net energy yield.

Question 17

Several major accidents, including the accidents at Three Mile Island and Fukushima, have reduced interest in using natural gas for fuel.

Question 18

Microwave ovens use about the same amount of energy as conventional ovens.

Question 19

The production of ethanol for fuels can contribute to water scarcity.

Question 20

A well-designed geothermal heat pump system could be the most energy-efficient, reliable, environmentally clean, and cost-effective way to heat or cool a space.

Question 21

Switching from conventional oil to natural gas probably means _____.

A) slowing the adoption of renewable energy sources
B) producing more carbon dioxide per unit of energy
C) having less risk of carbon dioxide leakage
D) switching from a nonrenewable to a renewable resource
E) being unable to produce sufficient energy for global energy consumption at current levels

Question 22

In a small town, residents begin to notice that earthquakes seem to be occurring more frequently. Some begin to wonder whether new methods of obtaining energy may be responsible. Which of the following is the most likely culprit?

A) The extraction of oil from crude oil
B) The extraction of heavy oil from oil sands
C) Increased burning of coal to provide larger amounts of energy
D) The extraction of natural gas through fracking that is leading to movement in the bedrock
E) The use of powerful wind turbines that are environmentally friendly but disruptive

Question 23

A growing source of heavy oil is ____, which is a mixture of clay, sand, water, and a combustible organic material called bitumen.

A) shale oil
B) tar sands
C) offshore oil
D) crude oil
E) liquefied petroleum gas

Question 24

One example of a renewable energy resource is _____.

A) natural gas
B) hydroelectric power
C) fracking
D) wood that is harvested more quickly than it can be regrown
E) natural minerals such as lithium

Question 25

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that wind farms at favorable sites in North Dakota, Kansas and Texas could meet the electricity needs of ____.

A) the western contiguous United States
B) these four states only
C) the northern plains states during the summers
D) the lower 48 states
E) the entire nation if private air conditioning is reduced

Question 26

What is bitumen?

A) It is a type of coal, with dark shiny bits of organic matter.
B) It is a deep shale-oil deposit mixed with natural gas.
C) It a thick, sticky, tar-like heavy oil with a high sulfur content.
D) It is an octane-raising gasoline additive that causes pollution.
E) It is the solid organic matter found in petroleum.

Question 27

What is the world's most abundant nonrenewable fossil fuel?

A) Oil
B) Natural gas
C) Biomass
D) Tar sand
E) Coal

Question 28

Burning coal contributes to air pollution, ocean acidification, and climate change.

Question 29

In the near future, the world is unlikely to exhaust its usable oil supplies because it is possible to use more unconventional heavy oil from depleted oil wells and other sources. Increasing the use of heavy oil will likely result in ________, among other consequences.

A) considerable unpredictability in the oil supply
B) reduced environmental impacts
C) lower net energy yields
D) greater technological input
E) reduced risk of climate change

Question 30

Crude oil is also known as light crude or conventional oil.

Question 31

What has brought about what some experts are calling a new era of oil and natural gas production in the United States?

A) Higher market prices for oil
B) More efficient distribution systems
C) The development of shale oil extraction technologies
D) The discovery of new oil sands
E) The increasing use of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing

Question 32

What resource was used to generate about 40% of the electricity generated in the United States in 2015?

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

Question 33

Which of the following energy resources has the highest net energy ratio for space heating?

A) Oil
B) Active solar
C) Passive solar
D) Electric resistance heating
E) Wind

Question 34

What is the term for propane and butane gases that can be liquefied under high pressure during the extraction of natural gas?

A) Methane
B) Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
C) Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
D) Gaseous hydrocarbons
E) Unconventional gas

Question 35

If a scientist analyzed the components of petroleum, he or she would find ________.

A) hydrocarbons only
B) oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur only
C) oxygen and hydrogen only
D) hydrocarbons and large amounts of silicon dioxide
E) primarily hydrocarbons with smaller amounts of sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen

Question 36

There is a vast supply of _____ underneath an area of boreal forests in Canada.

A) liquefied petroleum gas
B) coal
C) natural gas
D) conventional oil
E) tar sands

Question 37

Why is Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) so important?

A) Together, the member countries have about 81% of the world's proven crude oil reserves, giving them significant ability to control world oil supplies for the foreseeable future.
B) It consists of three countries with about half of the world's proven crude oil reserves.
C) Together, the member countries are the major players in international policy regarding the implementation of progressive and unconventional resources.
D) The member countries control the largest reserves of unconventional resources, including tar sands and shale gas.
E) The member countries consume the largest amount of petroleum products in the world and therefore have a significant effect upon petroleum prices.

Question 38

What are the countries with the largest proven reserves of natural gas?

A) Canada and the United States
B) Russia, Iran, and Qatar
C) Nigeria and Algeria
D) India, Venezuela, and the United States
E) Russia, Venezuela, and Canada

Question 39

Of the choices below, which energy resource has the highest net energy ratio for transportation?

A) Natural gas
B) Coal liquefaction
C) Gasoline
D) Oil shale
E) Ethanol from sugar cane residue

Question 40

Heavy oil is found trapped between layers of shale rock.

Question 41

A small pellet of uranium dioxide is about the size of an eraser on a pencil and contains the energy equivalent of ____.

A) several years all solar energy reaching the earth
B) several tons of tar sand
C) a ton of coal
D) a million barrels of crude oil
E) a million cubic feet of natural gas

Question 42

A ______ amount of commercial energy is used to perform important tasks while much is unavoidably lost or wasted.

A) moderate
B) variable
C) unpredictable
D) relatively large
E) relatively small

Question 43

The leading renewable energy resource that is used to produce electricity in the world today is ____.

A) tidal power
B) hydropower
C) wind power
D) biomass
E) geothermal

Question 44

What is an advantage of solar cells?

A) Some designs have high net energy yield.
B) No electricity storage systems or backups are needed.
C) The costs are low for older systems and dropping rapidly.
D) Solar-cell power plants do not disrupt desert ecosystems.
E) There are little or no direct emissions of CO₂and other air pollutants.

Question 45

One important advantage of active solar heating systems for houses is that ______.

A) the house must have sufficient exposure to sunlight
B) although emissions of pollutants is high, the pollutants can easily be captured
C) the net energy is high
D) the systems are very inexpensive compared with other heating systems
E) maintenance is minimal and therefore inexpensive

Question 46

What is an advantage of using passive or active solar systems?

A) There is no need to access the sun for most of the day.
B) The blocking of sunlight by structures has no impact.
C) The net energy yield is medium.
D) The installation and maintenance costs are very low.
E) There is no need for a backup system on cloudy days.

Question 47

Which of the following is true of nuclear waste disposal?

A) Nuclear waste is stored long-term in cooling pools.
B) Nuclear waste rapidly loses its radioactivity.
C) There is no risk of wastes being used for weapons.
D) Dry casks can easily last as long as needed for wastes to become safe.
E) There is no current fully satisfactory method of nuclear waste management and disposal.

Question 48

The United States has a(n) ____.

A) electrical grid that consists only of the newest technology
B) electrical grid that could be made much more energy efficient
C) highly efficient smart grid for electricity
D) smart electrical grid that allows for rapid regulation and repair to respond to changes in energy usage
E) electrical grid consisting of components that have all been replaced within the last 40 years

Question 49

What is the primary reason that coal is a relatively cheap way to produce electricity?

A) Coal reserves are large.
B) Most of the harmful environmental and health costs of coal are not included in the market price.
C) Coal is less expensive to extract than any of the fossil fuels.
D) Coal provides more energy per dollar for electrical generation.
E) Many government subsidies and tax incentives are already in place for coal.

Question 50

Why is it risky for companies to invest in renewable energy?

A) Pricing for renewable energy resources are artificially low.
B) None of the known renewable energy resources are reliable.
C) Renewable energy is expected to fall out of favor with the American public in the next decade.
D) Subsidies and tax breaks have to be renewed by the government every few years.
E) The energy net yield is often low and changes yearly.

Question 51

Most scientists and engineers agree in principle that deep burial in an underground repository is the safest and cheapest way to store ____ for thousands of years.

A) sequestered CO₂
B) fracking fluids
C) highly toxic non-radioactive waste
D) high-level radioactive wastes
E) coal ash

Question 52

Advanced light-water reactors are ______.

A) commonly in use for processing coal
B) commonly in use for fracking
C) commonly in use in nuclear power plants
D) proposed as extremely safe but not commercially available
E) proposed as being very energy effective and in production for use in a high percentage of nuclear reactors

Question 53

The country that used more wind power than any other in 2015 was _______.

A) China
B) Brazil
C) Spain
D) the United States
E) Germany

Question 54

When ultralight and ultra-strong materials are used to construct car bodies, the resulting cars are ______.

A) less energy-efficient compared with cars constructed using conventional materials
B) less expensive to manufacture and purchase
C) unable to use hybrid technology
D) unusually slow
E) able to provide more protection in an accident compared with traditional cars

Question 55

The prices on hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric cars are high because of the high cost of their ____.

A) batteries
B) technology
C) fuel cells
D) production
E) ultralight and ultra-strong composite materials

Question 56

The U.S. oil consumption could be reduced by up to 90% and carbon dioxide emissions reduced by 27% by replacing most of the current national vehicle fleet with ____.

A) hybrid cars
B) fuel cell cars
C) ultralight vehicles
D) mass transportation vehicles
E) plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

Question 57

What is a disadvantage of solar thermal systems?

A) There is low potential for growth.
B) The systems have low net energy yield and high costs.
C) There are some direct emissions of CO₂and other air pollutants.
D) There are high costs associated with the necessary natural gas turbine backups.
E) The high technology requirements could displace jobs for local workers.

Question 58

Which of the following describes an example of how cogeneration systems work?

A) A hybrid system uses both renewable and nonrenewable resources.
B) A system is run with an energy-efficient, digitally controlled, UHV system/transmission lines.
C) A system uses variable-speed electric motors.
D) Heat left over from power generation can be captured and used to heat a building.
E) A system generates energy flexibly through a combination of resources.

Question 59

How are spent nuclear fuel rods stored immediately after they are removed from the reactor core?

A) They are transferred to a storage facility located inside a mountain made of granite.
B) They are stored in a deep pool of water contained in a steel-lined concrete basin for cooling.
C) They are stored upright on concrete pads in sealed dry-storage casks made of heat- resistant metal alloys and thick concrete.
D) They are processed to remove radioactive plutonium, which can then be used as nuclear fuel or for making nuclear weapons.
E) They buried in an underground repository.

Question 60

What is a disadvantage of large-scale hydropower?

A) There is a low net energy yield.
B) There are high CH₄emissions from rapid biomass decay in shallow tropical reservoirs.
C) Most of the potential energy has already been tapped.
D) The generated electricity comes at a relatively high cost.
E) There are high emissions of CO₂and other air pollutants in temperate areas.

Question 61

What is the benefit of including the harmful environmental and health costs associated with fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and other nonrenewable resources?

A) It would ensure that renewable energy is competitive with nonrenewable resources in terms of market price.
B) It would make more funding available for cleanup and health care.
C) It would provide more profit-based incentives for energy production.
D) It would ensure infinite resources by requiring conservation and higher efficiency.
E) It would eliminate the need for subsidies, tax incentives, and government regulations.

Question 62

Although coal is an abundant fuel, when burned it produces very high _____________________ emissions.

Question 63

One way to save energy is through ____________________, which uses a single fuel source to produce two types of energy.

Question 64

Although it is more costly to install wind farms that are located ____, it is expected that these wind farms will be used increasingly due to advantages such as their ability to harness relatively strong winds and their relative inconspicuousness.

A) on mountaintops
B) offshore
C) near shorelines
D) in wide-open plains
E) desert valleys

Question 65

____________________ produces fewer pollutants than burning coal, but is significantly more expensive and produces radioactive wastes.

Question 66

____________________ is a mixture of gases that is approximately 50-90% methane (CH₄).

Question 67

_________________________ is the point in time at which the rate of crude oil production begins to decline.

Question 68

Coal is considered to be _____.

A) relatively clean when used responsibly
B) unusually dirty because of the amount of pollution and environmental damage that its use causes
C) a green technology when used following environmentally friendly guidelines
D) a renewable resource
E) a relatively expensive fuel even without full market pricing

Question 69

About 81% of the world's proven crude oil reserves are controlled by an organization known as ____________________.

Question 70

What is a disadvantage of producing energy by burning solid biomass?

A) The availability of biomass is relatively low.
B) There are high costs associated with growing suitable plants at sufficiently high densities.
C) The net energy yield is low.
D) There is a high CO₂emission problem even if it is done sustainably.
E) There can be a loss of biodiversity and increased risk of colonization by invasive species.

Question 71

What is a disadvantage of wind power?

A) Wind farms have a low net energy yield.
B) Wind farms need backup storage systems when the wind dies down.
C) Wind is not widely available.
D) Wind farms are expensive in terms of generating electricity.
E) Wind farms are difficult to build and expand.

Question 72

Large reserves of ____________________, consisting of a mixture of clay, sand, water, and bitumen, are located in Canada.

Question 73

The element ____________________ is said to be a potentially safer alternative to uranium that could be used in newer nuclear power plant reactors.

Question 74

____________________ are deposits of oil that can be extracted profitably and using current technology.

Question 75

What is the byproduct of combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce energy?

A) Carbon dioxide
B) Smoke
C) Water
D) Hydrogen sulfide
E) Heat

Question 76

Natural gas is most easily transported across oceans in the form of ____________________.

Question 77

What is an advantage of hydrogen fuel?

A) It has a positive net energy yield.
B) It produces no CO₂when engineered from carbon compounds.
C) Its low cost eliminates the need for subsidies.
D) It can be produced from plentiful water at some sites.
E) It requires no new storage and distribution systems.

Question 78

____________________ ____________________ produces less CO₂per unit energy than coal, but its production releases the potent greenhouse gas CH₄.

Question 79

Wind is the most commonly used type of indirect ____________________ energy.

Question 80

Ocean thermal-energy conversion was abandoned by the United States because _____.

A) it was clearly not feasible.
B) the temperature gradients in the ocean were not appropriate
C) it is very expensive
D) it did not work to produce any energy
E) there were not sufficient possible areas to use