Deck 13: Energy

Question 1

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

Answer 1

False

Question 2

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

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Hydropower has a low net energy yield.​

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Approximately 87% of the world's commercial energy comes from fossil fuels.​

Question 5

Improvements in energy efficiency could save up to 43% of the energy used in the United States.​

Question 6

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

Question 7

The initial amount of low-quality energy available from an energy resource is its net energy yield.​

Question 8

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 9

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 10

Nuclear power is now the world's fastest-growing energy source.​

Question 11

Japan became the world's second largest importer of coal as a result of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident.​

Question 12

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

Question 13

LED bulbs use 85% less energy and last up to 25 times as long as incandescent bulbs.​

Question 14

The nuclear fuel cycle has a low net energy yield.​

Question 15

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

Question 16

The world will very likely run out of oil in the next 10 to 20 years.​

Question 17

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

Question 18

Production and delivery of natural gas may emit more CO2 and CH4 per unit of energy produced than the burning of coal for commercial energy.​

Question 19

​A spent fuel rod is one that has lost all of its radioactivity.

Question 20

Plants grown for biofuels could compete with crops in areas grown for food.​

Question 21

​High-quality energy is required to ____.

A) recycle high-quality energy
B) ​generate hydroelectric power
C) ​produce renewable energy
D) ​extract and refine some nonrenewable energy
E) ​increase energy efficiency in some devices

Question 22

​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) ​Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing

Question 23

​What 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 24

​The largest producer of Canada's greenhouse gases is its energy sector,with over 70% of the emissions coming from its ____ industry.

A) ​transportation
B) ​fracking
C) ​natural gas
D) ​oil
E) ​tar sands

Question 25

​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 26

​What are the countries with the largest 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 27

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

Question 28

​What resource is used to generate about 40% of the electricity generated in the United States in 2013?

A) ​coal
B) ​nuclear
C) ​renewables
D) ​oil
E) ​natural gas

Question 29

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

A) ​They have about 72% of the world's proven crude oil reserves and thus are likely to control most of the world's conventional oil supplies for many years to come.
B) ​They consist of three countries with about half of the world's proven crude oil reserves.
C) ​They are the major players in international policy regarding the implementation of progressive and unconventional resources.
D) ​They control the largest reserves of unconventional resources,including tar sands and shale gas.
E) ​They consume the largest amount of petroleum products in the world thus are likely to control most of the world's conventional oil market price for many years to come.

Question 30

​The identified coal reserves in the United States could last at least ____ years at current usage rates.

A) ​10
B) ​50
C) ​100
D) ​150
E) ​250

Question 31

​Aside from increasing energy efficiency,what energy resource has the highest net energy ratio for space heating?

A) ​oil
B) ​active solar
C) ​passive solar
D) ​electric resistance heating
E) ​wind

Question 32

​Recently,the United States Geological Survey reduced its nationwide estimate of recoverable ____ from shale rock by 50%.

A) ​crude oil
B) ​oil shale
C) ​tar oil
D) ​natural gas
E) ​liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)

Question 33

​Production of fossil fuels from shale rock has a lower net energy yield than does the fossil fuel produced from conventional oil deposits.

Question 34

​The world is not about to run out of oil because we can rely more on unconventional heavy oil from depleted oil wells and other sources.However,these sources of oil will likely result in ____,higher environmental impacts,higher production costs,and higher oil prices.

A) ​increased international conflict
B) ​decreased production
C) ​lower net energy yields
D) ​greater technological input
E) ​increased CO₂ output

Question 35

​What country has the largest tar sand oil reserves?

A) ​Saudi Arabia
B) ​Canada
C) ​Venezuela
D) ​Kuwait
E) ​United States

Question 36

​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 37

The long-term problem for the United States is that it uses about 20% of the oil produced globally,produces about 10% of the world's oil,and has only 2% of the world's proven crude oil reserves.​

Question 38

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

A) ​methane
B) ​liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
C) ​liquefied natural gas (LNG)
D) ​gaseous hydrocarbons
E) ​unconventional gas

Question 39

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

A) ​oil
B) ​natural gas
C) ​biomass
D) ​tar sand
E) ​coal

Question 40

​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 41

​Why do we continue to waste energy rather than convert to more energy efficient behaviors?

A) ​A glut of substantial tax breaks for certain sectors
B) ​A lack of artificially low-cost fossil fuels
C) ​No clear or substantial benefits to the environment from reduction
D) ​A lack of concern about the adverse environmental effects of wasting energy
E) ​A lack of substantial tax breaks and a glut of artificially low costing fossil fuels

Question 42

​What is a disadvantage of large-scale hydropower?

A) ​There is a low net energy yield.
B) ​There are high CH4 emissions 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 CO2 and other air pollutants in temperate areas.

Question 43

​The world's second fastest-growing source of electricity after solar cells has been ____.

A) ​nuclear power
B) ​cogeneration power
C) ​coal power
D) ​wind power
E) ​hydropower

Question 44

​Light-water reactors generate about ____ of the world's nuclear-generated electricity.

A) ​95%
B) ​85%
C) ​75%
D) ​65%
E) ​55%

Question 45

​Consumers pay a hidden cost of ____ per gallon for gasoline.

A) ​6%
B) ​$12.00
C) ​10%
D) ​$3.00
E) ​$8.00

Question 46

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

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

Question 47

​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 48

​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 coal 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 49

​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 50

​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 51

​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 52

​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 CO2 and 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 53

​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 54

​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 CO₂ and other air pollutants.

Question 55

​What can we do when constructing new buildings to cut heating costs by up to 20%?

A) ​The building can be oriented to face the sun.
B) ​Passive solar heating systems can be installed.
C) ​Active soar heating systems can be installed.
D) ​Superinsulation can be added to the walls and ceilings.
E) ​Living or green roof tops can be added.

Question 56

​Approximately 84% percent of all ____ used in the United States is wasted.

A) ​natural gas
B) ​oil
C) ​nuclear energy
D) ​solar energy
E) ​commercial energy

Question 57

​How do cogeneration systems work?

A) ​As hybrid systems that use both renewable and nonrenewable resources
B) ​With an energy-efficient,digitally controlled,UHV system/transmission lines
C) ​As systems that use variable speed electric motors.
D) ​With the leftover heat from power generation,heat can be used again for other systems
E) ​As systems that generate energy flexibly through a combination of resources

Question 58

​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 ultrastrong composite materials​

Question 59

​The nuclear fuel cycle can last up to ____ years.

A) ​2,4
B) ​240
C) ​2,400
D) ​24,000
E) ​240,000

Question 60

​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 waste
D) ​high-level radioactive wastes
E) ​coal ash

Question 61

About 72% of the world's proven crude oil reserves are controlled by an organization known as ____________________.​

Question 62

About 37% of the electricity used in the United States is produced from the fossil fuel called ____________________.​

Question 63

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

Question 64

​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 65

​What is an advantage of geothermal power?

A) ​The cost is relatively low at most sites.
B) ​There are a great variety of suitable sites.
C) ​There is a medium net energy yield and high efficiency at accessible sites.
D) ​There is zero noise and no greenhouse gas emissions.
E) ​There are government subsidies and tax incentives that make the systems relatively cheap.

Question 66

Available deposits are called ____________________,which are deposits of oil and natural gas that can be extracted profitably and using current technology.​

Question 67

​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 68

One way to save energy is through ____________________,which uses a combined heat and power (CHP)system.

Question 69

​The coal and electric utility industries have financed a highly effective publicity campaign touting the benefits of ____; however,this campaign is misleading because there will always be some associated environmental damage.

A) ​clean burning natural gas
B) ​clean coal
C) ​nuclear energy
D) ​renewable energy
E) green technology​

Question 70

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

Question 71

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

Question 72

Wind can be thought of as an indirect form of ____________________ energy.​

Question 73

​What is a disadvantages 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.
C) ​The net energy yield is low.
D) ​There is a high CO₂ emission problem.
E) ​The clear-cutting of trees and plants can lead to soil erosion,water pollution,and loss of habitat.

Question 74

​Wind farms that are located ____ are more costly to install,but are expected to see increasing use because they can harness stronger winds and thus reduce the cost of producing electricity.

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

Question 75

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

A) ​carbon dioxide
B) ​smoke
C) ​water
D) ​hydrogen sulfide
E) ​heat

Question 76

​Large reserves of ____________________ are located in Canada and its oil reserves are considered to be second only in size to those in Saudi Arabia.

Question 77

The cleanest burning alternative among the fossil fuels is ____________________ ____________________.​

Question 78

​_________________________ is the point in time when we reach the maximum overall rate of crude oil production for the whole world.

Question 79

​What is an advantage of hydrogen fuel?

A) ​It has a positive net energy yield.
B) ​It produces no CO₂ when 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 80

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