Question 1

Why didn't the "plants in operation" curve in the diagram increase to the same level that the "plants on order" curve peaked?

Accepted Answer

A)  Because of the increased concerns about reactor safety and waste disposal 
B)  Because some people were still supportive of nuclear power 
C)  Because nuclear power does not contribute to the greenhouse effect 
D)  Because there is a lag time between ordering and operating a nuclear plant 
E)  Because many utilities cancelled their orders 
A)  Because of the increased concerns about reactor safety and waste disposal 
B)  Because some people were still supportive of nuclear power 
C)  Because nuclear power does not contribute to the greenhouse effect 
D)  Because there is a lag time between ordering and operating a nuclear plant 
E)  Because many utilities cancelled their orders

Question 2

Yucca Mountain, Nevada is the site of

Accepted Answer

A)  A proposed breeder reactor project 
B)  A proposed national nuclear waste repository 
C)  The most notorious radioactive leak in history 
D)  A leading nuclear free zone 
E)  A permanent nuclear storage depot managed by the federal government 
A)  A proposed breeder reactor project 
B)  A proposed national nuclear waste repository 
C)  The most notorious radioactive leak in history 
D)  A leading nuclear free zone 
E)  A permanent nuclear storage depot managed by the federal government

Question 3

The MOST likely disaster in a nuclear power plant is that

Accepted Answer

A)  The plant would explode like a nuclear bomb 
B)  Cooling systems could fail, causing rapid overheating 
C)  Fuel rods could fail to maintain chain reactions 
D)  Nuclear fusion would get out of control and cause explosions 
E)  All of these are equally likely 
A)  The plant would explode like a nuclear bomb 
B)  Cooling systems could fail, causing rapid overheating 
C)  Fuel rods could fail to maintain chain reactions 
D)  Nuclear fusion would get out of control and cause explosions 
E)  All of these are equally likely

Question 4

Hydraulic fracturing breaks what kind of rock layer to release methane?

Accepted Answer

A)  Slate 
B)  Granite 
C)  Limestone 
D)  Shale 
A)  Slate 
B)  Granite 
C)  Limestone 
D)  Shale

Question 5

Fossil fuels currently supply about 50 percent of the world's commercial energy supplies.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Each year the U.S. spends over __________ billion dollars on imported oil.

Accepted Answer

A)  100 
B)  200 
C)  400 
D)  800 
A)  100 
B)  200 
C)  400 
D)  800

Question 7

Workers in uranium mines have experienced extremely high incidence of

Accepted Answer

A)  Strokes 
B)  Emphysema 
C)  Lung cancer 
D)  Black lung disease 
E)  Skin cancer 
A)  Strokes 
B)  Emphysema 
C)  Lung cancer 
D)  Black lung disease 
E)  Skin cancer

Question 8

Nuclear fusion is a(n) ____________ technology.

Accepted Answer

A)  Proven and common 
B)  Ideal but so far unachievable 
C)  Technologically easy but publicly objectionable 
D)  Long-time standard 
E)  Clean, efficient, and relatively inexpensive 
A)  Proven and common 
B)  Ideal but so far unachievable 
C)  Technologically easy but publicly objectionable 
D)  Long-time standard 
E)  Clean, efficient, and relatively inexpensive

Question 9

Methane produced from animal waste or by digesting garbage is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  Conventional gas source 
B)  Unconventional gas resource 
C)  By-product of human activities 
D)  Nonrenewable energy source 
E)  Unconventional gas resource and a by-product of human activities 
A)  Conventional gas source 
B)  Unconventional gas resource 
C)  By-product of human activities 
D)  Nonrenewable energy source 
E)  Unconventional gas resource and a by-product of human activities

Question 10

What is the name of the shale basin that is located under much of the northern Appalachian Mountains?

Accepted Answer

A)  Barnett Shale Basin 
B)  Marcellus Shale Basin 
C)  Devonian Shale Basin 
D)  Delaware Shale Basin 
A)  Barnett Shale Basin 
B)  Marcellus Shale Basin 
C)  Devonian Shale Basin 
D)  Delaware Shale Basin

Question 11

Interest in nuclear power as a major world energy source

Accepted Answer

A)  Was strong in the 1950s but has since faded 
B)  Gradually built to a peak in the 1980s and 1990s 
C)  Reached a peak of interest due to the Gulf War 
D)  Has been consistently low since it was invented 
E)  Is increasing because of its low cost 
A)  Was strong in the 1950s but has since faded 
B)  Gradually built to a peak in the 1980s and 1990s 
C)  Reached a peak of interest due to the Gulf War 
D)  Has been consistently low since it was invented 
E)  Is increasing because of its low cost

Question 12

Under normal operating conditions _______________ power plants release radioactivity as well as toxic metals.

Accepted Answer

A)  Coal-fired 
B)  Hydroelectric 
C)  Nuclear 
D)  Wind-generated 
E)  All of these are correct 
A)  Coal-fired 
B)  Hydroelectric 
C)  Nuclear 
D)  Wind-generated 
E)  All of these are correct

Question 13

Proven reserves of fossil fuels are those demonstrable to be economically recoverable.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

The liquid sodium that must be used to cool a breeder reactor

Accepted Answer

A)  Is explosive in contact with water 
B)  Burns intensely when exposed to oxygen 
C)  Is highly corrosive 
D)  All of these are correct 
E)  None of these is correct 
A)  Is explosive in contact with water 
B)  Burns intensely when exposed to oxygen 
C)  Is highly corrosive 
D)  All of these are correct 
E)  None of these is correct

Question 15

Most nuclear plants in the United States use _________ to cool fuel rods and run turbines.

Accepted Answer

A)  Pressurized air and water 
B)  Forced air 
C)  Freon, as in a refrigerator, 
D)  Pressurized water and steam 
E)  Liquid sodium 
A)  Pressurized air and water 
B)  Forced air 
C)  Freon, as in a refrigerator, 
D)  Pressurized water and steam 
E)  Liquid sodium

Question 16

A fuel assembly in a nuclear power plant consists of

Accepted Answer

A)  Fuel pellets packed into a hollow rod 
B)  About one hundred pellet-filled rods bundled together 
C)  Fuel pellets arranged in a cube and encased in plastic 
D)  About a thousand fuel rods 
E)  Neutron-absorbing material such as cadmium 
A)  Fuel pellets packed into a hollow rod 
B)  About one hundred pellet-filled rods bundled together 
C)  Fuel pellets arranged in a cube and encased in plastic 
D)  About a thousand fuel rods 
E)  Neutron-absorbing material such as cadmium

Question 17

The proper functioning of nuclear reactors depends on a self-sustaining chain reaction from which vast amounts of energy are released.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

There is a positive correlation between standard of living and per capita energy consumption.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT considered a fossil fuel?

Accepted Answer

A)  Coal 
B)  Natural gas 
C)  Oil 
D)  Charcoal 
E)  All of these are considered to be fossil fuels 
A)  Coal 
B)  Natural gas 
C)  Oil 
D)  Charcoal 
E)  All of these are considered to be fossil fuels

Question 20

Which of the following statements regarding nuclear energy is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  In a nuclear power plant, electricity is collected directly from electrons splitting off from fuel atoms. 
B)  Nearly all nuclear power plants worldwide are built far from water sources to prevent contamination. 
C)  Decommissioning a nuclear power plant costs up to ten times as much as building it. 
D)  The Pressurized Water Reactor and the Boiling Water Reactor are essentially the two main designs for a nuclear power plant. 
E)  In a nuclear power plant, electricity is collected directly from the combination of electrons. 
A)  In a nuclear power plant, electricity is collected directly from electrons splitting off from fuel atoms. 
B)  Nearly all nuclear power plants worldwide are built far from water sources to prevent contamination. 
C)  Decommissioning a nuclear power plant costs up to ten times as much as building it. 
D)  The Pressurized Water Reactor and the Boiling Water Reactor are essentially the two main designs for a nuclear power plant. 
E)  In a nuclear power plant, electricity is collected directly from the combination of electrons.

Exam 19: Conventional Energy

Why didn't the "plants in operation" curve in the diagram increase to the same level that the "plants on order" curve peaked?

Yucca Mountain, Nevada is the site of

The MOST likely disaster in a nuclear power plant is that

Hydraulic fracturing breaks what kind of rock layer to release methane?

Fossil fuels currently supply about 50 percent of the world's commercial energy supplies.

Each year the U.S. spends over __________ billion dollars on imported oil.

Workers in uranium mines have experienced extremely high incidence of

Nuclear fusion is a(n) ____________ technology.

Methane produced from animal waste or by digesting garbage is an example of a(n)

What is the name of the shale basin that is located under much of the northern Appalachian Mountains?

Interest in nuclear power as a major world energy source

Under normal operating conditions _______________ power plants release radioactivity as well as toxic metals.

Proven reserves of fossil fuels are those demonstrable to be economically recoverable.

The liquid sodium that must be used to cool a breeder reactor

Most nuclear plants in the United States use _________ to cool fuel rods and run turbines.

A fuel assembly in a nuclear power plant consists of

The proper functioning of nuclear reactors depends on a self-sustaining chain reaction from which vast amounts of energy are released.

There is a positive correlation between standard of living and per capita energy consumption.

Which of the following is NOT considered a fossil fuel?

Which of the following statements regarding nuclear energy is true?

Understanding Our Environment

Principles of Science and Systems

Matter, Energy, and Life

Evolution, Biological Communities, and Species Interactions

Biomes: Global Patterns of Life

Population Biology

Human Populations

Environmental Health and Toxicology

Food and Hunger

Farming: Conventional and Sustainable Practices

Biodiversity: Preserving Species

Biodiversity: Preserving Landscapes

Restoration Ecology

Geology and Earth Resources

Climate Change

Air Pollution

Water Use and Management

Water Pollution

Sustainable Energy

Solid, Toxic, and Hazardous Waste

Urbanization and Sustainable Cities

Ecological Economics

Environmental Policy, Law, and Planning

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