Deck 16: The Energy Challenge

Question 1

The type of fuel created in the breeder reactor is

A) deuterium.
B) plutonium.
C) uranium- 235.
D) uranium- 238.
E) cow dung.

Answer 1

plutonium.

Question 2

Which two renewable energy resources provide the largest amount of energy today?

A) biomass and active solar
B) hydroelectric and biomass
C) hydroelectric and wind
D) active solar and photovoltaics
E) photovoltaics and wind

Answer 2

hydroelectric and biomass

Question 3

How do coal power plants and nuclear power plants differ?

A) One has a stack-- i.e., smokestack-- and the other doesn't.
B) They use different fuels.
C) Both of the above.
D) One uses a cooling tower or a cooling lake or river, and the other doesn't.
E) All of the above.

Answer 3

Both of the above.

Question 4

The United States today gets nearly all of its energy from three energy resources. Which one of the following is not one of these three?

A) oil-- i.e., petroleum
B) coal
C) natural gas
D) renewable resources such as hydroelectric

Question 5

Which of the following best represents the energy transformations occurring in a coal- fired power plant?

A) electric ·thermal ·chemical
B) chemical ·electric ·thermal
C) thermal ·chemical ·electric
D) gravitational ·thermal ·electric
E) chemical ·thermal ·electric

Question 6

Most experts believe that, for safe disposal, high- level nuclear wastes should be buried for

A) as long as humans remain on Earth.
B) 100,000 to 1 million years.
C) 100 to 500 years.
D) a few million years.
E) 1000 to 10,000 years.

Question 7

Today, the energy resource that supplies the United States with the greatest amount of electricity is

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

Question 8

When U.S. annual energy use and gross national product (GNP) are graphed, the two graphs rise at the same rate until the mid- east oil shocks of the 1970s, after which

A) GNP keeps rising while energy use levels off due to global warming.
B) total energy use increases without a similar increase in GNP, because of increased oil imports.
C) GNP levels off while energy use keeps rising due to technological stagnation.
D) GNP keeps rising while energy use begins to level off due to increased energy efficiency.
E) energy use decreases due to declining fossil fuel supplies.

Question 9

At the Three Mile Island reactor

A) although there was considerable damage, there was never much risk of harm to the nearby population.
B) there was only a minor accident.
C) meltdown occurred accompanied by a large- scale release of deadly radiation and many deaths.
D) the reactor melted down but this was accompanied by only a small release of radiation and no immediate deaths.
E) Actually nothing occurred-- it was all a hoax.

Question 10

In producing a uranium bomb, the most difficult step is

A) getting the uranium into gaseous form
B) constructing the triggering mechanism.
C) keeping it from blowing up during construction.
D) finding and mining the uranium.
E) separating the fissionable isotope from the non- fissionable isotope.

Question 11

During operation of a nuclear reactor, the ²³⁸U nuclei

A) slow down the neutrons, thus improving the efficiency of the reactor.
B) are fissioned by the neutrons, thus releasing nuclear energy.
C) absorb neutrons, which causes them to turn into fissionable ²³⁵U.
D) absorb neutrons, which causes them to turn into plutonium.
E) absorb neutrons, which slows down the chain reaction and thus controls the reaction.

Question 12

The four general categories of "energy resources" from which we can obtain useful energy services are: fossil, nuclear, renewable [i.e., alternative], and

A) chemical.
B) biomass.
C) energy efficiency.
D) hydroelectric.
E) breeder reactors.

Question 13

Consider the four U.S. non- renewable energy resources: gas, oil, coal, uranium without recycling for plutonium recovery. Assuming that we used each of these for a major portion of our energy needs, for which ones would domestic U.S. resources run out within some 50 years, and which ones does the United States have in much greater abundance?

A) The United States has abundant supplies of all four of these resources.
B) The United States is running out of gas, oil, and uranium, but has abundant coal.
C) The United States is running out of gas, oil, and coal, but has abundant uranium.
D) The United States is running out of all four.
E) The United States is running out of gas and oil, but has abundant coal and uranium.

Question 14

Which of the following is a "non- renewable" resource?

A) hydroelectric
B) wood
C) active solar heating
D) photovoltaic electricity
E) None of the above.

Question 15

Most of the following energy resources provide useful energy in the United States today. Which one does not?

A) nuclear fusion
B) biomass
C) geothermal
D) nuclear fission
E) direct solar

Question 16

The combustion product that is created in the largest amounts by a coal- burning generating plant is

A) acids of sulfur and nitrogen, most of which is filtered out of the exhaust gases and disposed of as solid waste.
B) laughing gas, which is why Americans are so silly.
C) carbon dioxide, most of which is filtered out of the exhaust gases and disposed of as solid waste.
D) acids of sulfur and nitrogen, which go up the plant's stack and into the atmosphere.
E) carbon dioxide, which goes up the plant's stack and into the atmosphere.

Question 17

The percentage of ²³⁵U-- as opposed to ²³⁸U-- present in light- water uranium power reactors is closest to

A) 5 percent.
B) 90 percent.
C) 50 percent.
D) 25 percent.
E) 75 percent.

Question 18

It frequently happens, within nuclear reactors, that ²³⁸ U absorbs a neutron to become ²³⁹ U. This 92 92
Isotope then quickly goes through two beta- decay processes, which turns it into

A) "²³⁷ Pu."
B) "²³⁷ U."
C) "²⁴¹ Pu."
D) "²³⁹ Th."
E) "²³⁹ Pu.
94 92"

Question 19

Three essential components of a nuclear reactor are: a fissionable fuel , control rods, and

A) tritium to speed up the neutrons.
B) lead to stop the neutrons.
C) a radioactive substance to keep the reaction going.
D) a "scrubber" to prevent radioactive isotopes from getting into the environment.
E) a coolant to transfer the heat from the reactor to the turbine.

Question 20

The type of nuclear reactor used in the United States was originally developed

A) during the Manhattan project.
B) as part of the H- bomb program.
C) for submarines.
D) in Canada.
E) by private industry.

Question 21

Which one of the following in not one of the drawbacks to the use of coal, i.e., which of the following is false?

A) Coal mining causes a large number of miner's deaths due to miner's diseases.
B) Coal burning contributes to the greenhouse effect thus heating Earth.
C) Coal mining causes destruction of the land.
D) We will run short on coal resources before long.
E) Coal burning causes pollution.

Question 22

Which of the following best represents the energy transformations occurring in a coal- fired power plant?

A) chemical ·thermal ·electric
B) gravitational ·thermal ·electric
C) chemical ·electric ·thermal
D) thermal ·chemical ·electric
E) electric ·thermal ·chemical

Question 23

Fluorescent bulbs have recently become much more efficient due to the introduction of

A) new types of gases, that glow brighter, within the tube.
B) high- emission phosphor coatings on the inside of the bulb.
C) electronically controlled high- frequency ballasts.
D) longer bulbs.
E) lower density-- i.e., lower pressure-- gases within the tube.

Question 24

The most important, and least solvable, problem of coal power is generally agreed to be

A) waste disposal.
B) accidents.
C) its contribution to acid rain.
D) its contribution to global warming.
E) lack of sufficient coal resources.

Question 25

Which of the following is most likely to encourage nuclear weapons proliferation?

A) recycling of plutonium
B) mining of uranium
C) mass production of frozen pizza.
D) storage of used nuclear fuel rods
E) fabrication [i.e., production] of reactor fuels pellets and fuel rods

Question 26

The contribution of efficiency to U.S. energy services is

A) larger than the contribution of oil.
B) about as large as the contribution of oil.
C) less than the contribution of oil but still significant.
D) insignificant.

Question 27

Does a nuclear power plant have a "smoke" stack, and why?

A) Yes, the "cooling towers" that can be seen at nuclear power plants are, in reality, smoke stacks.
B) Yes, because the plant releases its combustion products to the atmosphere through the stack.
C) Yes, the plant releases its waste fission products to the atmosphere through the stack.
D) No, because the plant does not combust its fuel.
E) No, because the plant creates no waste products.

Question 28

Which of the following is about as cheap as coal for base- load electric power today?

A) solar- thermal generation of electricity
B) wind turbines
C) photovoltaic cells
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 29

Which of these fuels are obtained from the remains of plants and animals that died millions of years ago?

A) Oil
B) Coal
C) Natural gas
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 30

In a nuclear reactor, the control rods must be able to

A) remove the heat from the fissioning uranium.
B) absorb neutrons.
C) slow neutrons down without absorbing them.
D) absorb ²³⁵U.
E) absorb ²³⁸U.

Question 31

In a graph of the history of U.S. energy use since 1950, why does the graph drop sharply after 1973?

A) The Texas oil fields produced far less oil beginning in 1973, resulting in rationing and a switch to natural gas.
B) Analysts have not yet found a good explanation for this drop in U.S. energy use.
C) The 1973 mideast oil embargo was followed by increased prices and a drop in consumption.
D) The Texas oil fields produced far less oil beginning in 1973, causing a price increase and a drop in consumption.
E) The 1973 mideast oil embargo was followed by gasoline rationing and a switch to domestic natural gas.

Question 32

The main drawback of coal as an energy resource is

A) its contribution to the global warming.
B) the economics associated with the coal industry.
C) limited resources are available.
D) its contribution to acid rain.
E) its contribution to the ozone problem.

Question 33

Which of the following facilities are needed to produce a plutonium A- bomb?

A) enrichment plant
B) nuclear reactor
C) Both of the above.
D) a fusion bomb
E) All of the above.

Question 34

The textbook shows a graph of the history of U.S. energy use since 1950. According to this graph, which of the following resources presently delivers the most energy [or energy equivalent] annually to the United States?

A) coal
B) nuclear
C) renewable forms such as hydroelectric and solar
D) oil
E) conservation, considered as equivalent to an energy resource

Question 35

The accident at Three Mile Island began when

A) the control rods didn't insert properly.
B) the moderator malfunctioned so that the reaction got out of control.
C) the pressurizer ruptured [i.e., broke open] and there was no backup pressurizer to replace it.
D) a water pump failed.
E) the heat exchanger failed to operate properly.

Question 36

During an emergency such as the Three Mile Island accident, neutron- absorbing rods are inserted into the reactor. What effect does this have on the thermal energy output of the reactor?

A) It has no effect on thermal energy output, because nuclear reactors create practically no thermal energy anyway.
B) Thermal energy output is unchanged for a few hours because the chain reaction takes a long time to die out.
C) Radioactivity immediately ceases, reducing the thermal energy output, but fission keeps creating thermal energy.
D) The chain reaction stops, reducing the thermal energy output, but radioactivity keeps creating thermal energy.
E) All thermal energy output immediately ceases.

Question 37

Which of the following is about as cheap as coal for base- load electric power today?

A) solar- thermal generation of electricity
B) wind turbines
C) photovoltaic cells
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 38

Which of the following industrialized democracies is the least efficient in its use of energy?

A) Japan
B) West Germany
C) United States
D) Great Britain
E) Italy

Question 39

Which of the following best represents the energy transformations occurring in a photovoltaic cell?

A) electric ·radiant
B) thermal ·radiant ·electric
C) thermal ·electric
D) radiant ·thermal ·electric
E) radiant ·electric

Question 40

Which of the following represents a partial or total decarbonization of our energy supply?

A) switching from oil (petroleum) to natural gas
B) switching from coal to natural gas
C) switching from natural gas to nuclear power
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 41

If the nation's yearly total energy use and also the yearly gross national product [GNP] are graphed, the two graphs rise at the same rate until the mid- 1970s, but they diverge from each other after about 1973.This divergence of the graphs shows that

A) as the price of goods and services decreases, energy use increases.
B) an increasing GNP causes energy use to also increase.
C) U.S. energy efficiency decreased after 1973, due to lower energy prices.
D) energy use increases when the nation's goods and services increase.
E) energy efficiency has played a large role in providing goods and services since 1973.

Question 42

Which of the following is a "renewable" resource?

A) hydroelectric
B) coal
C) uranium
D) None of the above.
E) All of the above.

Question 43

Which of the following is a "renewable" resource?

A) uranium
B) hydroelectric
C) Both of the above.
D) natural gas
E) None of these are renewable resources.

Question 44

Which of these problems arise partly from nuclear power plants but not from coal- fired power plants?

A) proliferation of nuclear weapons
B) solid waste disposal problems
C) thermal pollution of lakes or rivers
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 45

Can anything be done to stretch out the fuel supply for fission nuclear reactors so that such reactors could be used for many more centuries?

A) No, because fission reactors must use uranium, and uranium resources will run out within a century.
B) No, because fission reactors must use plutonium, and plutonium resources will run out within a century.
C) Yes, by using uranium that is less highly enriched that the uranium fuel in use today.
D) Yes, by converting the ²³⁸U into ²³⁵U and then fissioning the ²³⁵U.
E) Yes, by converting ²³⁸U into plutonium and then fissioning the plutonium.

Question 46

Which of these problems arise partly from coal- fired power plants but not from nuclear power plants?

A) global warming
B) acid rain
C) Both of the above.
D) nuclear weapons proliferation
E) All of the above.

Question 47

Since natural gas creates carbon dioxide, why would it reduce global warming to switch from coal to natural gas?

A) Actually, such a change would not reduce global warming.
B) Because electricity from natural gas plants would cost more and thus it would be used less.
C) Because natural gas plants produce a less polluting type of carbon dioxide.
D) Because mining is not needed in order to obtain natural gas.
E) Because natural gas uses less carbon per joule of energy than does coal.

Question 48

The scientific consensus concerning fusion power reactors is that

A) such reactors could be commercially feasible, but not until the middle of this century.
B) according to present scientific knowledge, it is impossible to build such reactors.
C) such reactors could be built but they will never be a commercially feasible source of electricity.
D) the first commercial fusion reactors are already under construction and will be ready for use within ten years.
E) such reactors are already a source of commercially feasible electric power.

Question 49

The core of the reactor at Three Mile Island

A) came within an hour of a melt- down.
B) melted down.
C) never had a significant chance of a meltdown.
D) came within seconds of a melt- down.
E) came within a day of a melt- down.

Question 50

The main difference between an incandescent bulb and a fluorescent bulb is that the incandescent bulb

A) heats a wire by sending an electric current through it, while the fluorescent heats a solid powdery material by sending a current through it.
B) uses electric current to heat a wire, while a fluorescent bulb sends an electric current through a gas.
C) uses electromagnetic radiation to heat a wire, while a fluorescent bulb uses magnetic fields to heat a gas.
D) heats a wire by sending an electric current through it, while a fluorescent bulb uses magnetic fields to heat a gas.
E) sends an electric current through a gas while the fluorescent bulb heats a thin wire electrically.

Question 51

Three essential components of a nuclear reactor are: a fissionable fuel ,a coolant to transfer the heat, and

A) tritium to speed up the neutrons.
B) a "scrubber" to prevent radioactive isotopes from getting into the environment.
C) control rods.
D) a radioactive substance to keep the reaction going.
E) lead to stop the neutrons.

Question 52

Which of the following is the best description of how a fluorescent bulb works?

A) Electrons flow through the bulb, causing a chemical reaction in the gas atoms inside the bulb, which causes these atoms to emit light.
B) Electrons flow from one end of the bulb to the other, hitting gas atoms and causing them to emit light.
C) A gas fills the bulb and when the gas atoms strike the walls of the bulb the material in the wall emits light.
D) A gas flows from one end of the bulb to the other, and the gas atoms are energized by the electric field which causes the atoms to emit light.
E) Electrons flowing through the bulb get heated up within the bulb, and these electrons emit light.

Question 53

In what ways might a country's nuclear power industry assist that country in obtaining nuclear weapons?

A) by enriching uranium.
B) by producing plutonium in nuclear reactors
C) by providing the knowledge that is essential to building nuclear weapons
D) All of the above.
E) Actually, there is little connection between nuclear power and nuclear weapons.

Question 54

Which of the following best represents the energy transformations occurring in a solar- heated power plant?

A) chemical ·thermal ·electric
B) electric ·thermal ·radiant
C) thermal ·radiant ·electric
D) radiant ·thermal ·electric
E) electric ·thermal ·electric

Question 55

Hydrocarbon fuels come from

A) lava flows from volcanoes that erupted millions of years ago.
B) hydrocarbon ores that are mined and then milled in order to extract the small fraction of hydrocarbon in them.
C) the remains of plants and animals that died millions of years ago.
D) Disneyland.
E) the original geological processes that formed planet Earth billions of years ago.

Question 56

Which of the following represents a partial or total decarbonization of our energy supply?

A) switching from coal to natural gas
B) switching from nuclear to hydrogen fuels
C) switching from natural gas to oil (petroleum)
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 57

Which of the following can be classified as "heat engines":

A) hydroelectric power plant
B) geothermal power plant
C) wind turbines
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 58

The United States today gets nearly all of its energy from three energy resources. Which one of the following is not one of these three?

A) nuclear
B) oil-- i.e., petroleum
C) coal
D) natural gas

Question 59

Regarding the energy efficiency of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs,

A) incandescent is more efficient because it uses electric current, which is a highly efficient energy form.
B) the two types have roughly equal efficiencies.
C) fluorescent is more efficient because very little heating is involved.
D) fluorescent is more efficient because it does not use an actual electric current (a flow of electrons).
E) incandescent is more efficient because the electric current heats the wire filament directly.

Question 60

Which of the following best represents the energy transformations occurring in a wind- generated power plant?

A) thermal ·kinetic ·electric
B) kinetic ·thermal ·electric
C) chemical ·thermal ·electric
D) kinetic ·electric ·thermal
E) electric ·thermal ·kinetic

Question 61

Uranium is one possible fission- reactor fuel. Another is

A) plutonium, obtained by the enrichment of naturally- occurring plutonium.
B) thorium, produced from the isotope ²³⁸U that is present in reactor fuel.
C) poppy seeds.
D) radium, obtained by the enrichment of naturally- occurring radium.
E) plutonium, produced from the isotope ²³⁸U that is present in reactor fuel.

Question 62

Which is a "nonrenewable" resource?

A) hydroelectric
B) photovoltaic electricity
C) active solar heating
D) wood
E) None of these are nonrenewable resources.

Question 63

Which of the following best represents the energy transformations occurring in a nuclear power plant?

A) thermal ·nuclear ·electric
B) electric ·thermal ·nuclear
C) chemical ·thermal ·electric
D) nuclear ·thermal ·electric
E) nuclear ·chemical ·electric

Question 64

Which of the following is the most similar, in its operation, to a photovoltaic cell?

A) fluorescent light bulb
B) geothermal energy
C) fossil- fuel electric power plant
D) automobile engine
E) battery

Question 65

Which of the following is a form of high- level nuclear waste?

A) used protective clothing that has been worn by some nuclear power plant workers
B) used water that has been circulating through the core of a reactor
C) used nuclear fuel rods
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.

Question 66

Suppose the main water pipe breaks in a nuclear power plant, shutting off the water flow. If the control rods fall immediately into place, stopping the chain reaction, is there still a problem?

A) Yes, because the uranium can still fission even though it is not chain- reacting.
B) Yes, because the control rods stop only the fissioning of uranium and not the fissioning of plutonium.
C) Yes, because radioactivity continues to create lots of thermal energy.
D) No, because no heat can be created once the fission reaction is shut off.
E) No, because the small amount of heat that continues being created is not enough to cause any danger.

Question 67

The contribution of efficiency to U.S. energy services is

A) larger than the contribution of any single actual energy resource.
B) insignificant.
C) larger than the contribution of all actual energy resources combined.
D) only about as large as the contribution of hydroelectric.
E) about as large as the contribution of coal.