Question 1

Over the past 30 years in the United States,nuclear power production

Accepted Answer

A) has increased by more than 200%. 
B) has increased by 50%. 
C) has remained steady at around 100 plants. 
D) has declined from nearly 100 to now about 70 plants. 
A) has increased by more than 200%. 
B) has increased by 50%. 
C) has remained steady at around 100 plants. 
D) has declined from nearly 100 to now about 70 plants.

Question 2

Long-term storage of military nuclear waste

Accepted Answer

A) remains unresolved,as nuclear materials continue to accumulate on U.S.bases in many regions. 
B) will be combined with commercial nuclear waste when a suitable storage facility is constructed. 
C) is no longer an issue as methods to convert this waste into nuclear fuel has addressed this problem. 
D) has been shipped to a central location in New Mexico for more than a decade. 
A) remains unresolved,as nuclear materials continue to accumulate on U.S.bases in many regions. 
B) will be combined with commercial nuclear waste when a suitable storage facility is constructed. 
C) is no longer an issue as methods to convert this waste into nuclear fuel has addressed this problem. 
D) has been shipped to a central location in New Mexico for more than a decade.

Question 3

Nuclear bombs rely upon

Accepted Answer

A) a domino effect that causes the nuclear fission of uranium-235 in less than a second. 
B) a domino effect that causes the nuclear fusion of uranium-235 in less than a second. 
C) an instantaneous fission of uranium-235 under extreme pressures. 
D) an instantaneous fusion of uranium-235 under extreme pressures. 
A) a domino effect that causes the nuclear fission of uranium-235 in less than a second. 
B) a domino effect that causes the nuclear fusion of uranium-235 in less than a second. 
C) an instantaneous fission of uranium-235 under extreme pressures. 
D) an instantaneous fusion of uranium-235 under extreme pressures.

Question 4

Compared to the generation of electricity using coal,nuclear power

Accepted Answer

A) contributes more to global climate change. 
B) generates no sulfur dioxide or carbon dioxide emissions. 
C) generates no sulfur dioxide but more carbon dioxide emissions. 
D) will run out of fuel in about 40 years. 
A) contributes more to global climate change. 
B) generates no sulfur dioxide or carbon dioxide emissions. 
C) generates no sulfur dioxide but more carbon dioxide emissions. 
D) will run out of fuel in about 40 years.

Question 5

The use of nuclear power throughout the world is generally

Accepted Answer

A) uneven,ranging from 0 to 74 %,depending on the country. 
B) uneven,ranging from 3-22% in different countries around the world. 
C) consistent,with most developed countries generating most of the electricity with nuclear power. 
D) steadily declining,with most countries planning on phasing out their nuclear plants. 
A) uneven,ranging from 0 to 74 %,depending on the country. 
B) uneven,ranging from 3-22% in different countries around the world. 
C) consistent,with most developed countries generating most of the electricity with nuclear power. 
D) steadily declining,with most countries planning on phasing out their nuclear plants.

Question 6

If a nuclear reactor generates the expected amount of heated water but no electricity,it is most likely a problem with the

Accepted Answer

A) fuel rods. 
B) control rods. 
C) moderator. 
D) turbogenerator. 
A) fuel rods. 
B) control rods. 
C) moderator. 
D) turbogenerator.

Question 7

Throughout the world,there is general agreement that the safest place to store long-term nuclear waste is

Accepted Answer

A) in the major oceans. 
B) in space. 
C) in high security above ground buildings. 
D) deeply underground. 
A) in the major oceans. 
B) in space. 
C) in high security above ground buildings. 
D) deeply underground.

Question 8

Unlike corrosion,embrittlement results in the degradation of nuclear power plant materials from the

Accepted Answer

A) buildup up iron oxide after prolonged exposure to water. 
B) rapid expansion and contraction of super-heated and ice-cold water through most of the pipes. 
C) use of highly corrosive saltwater throughout most of the water pipes. 
D) bombardment of materials by neutrons produced by fission. 
A) buildup up iron oxide after prolonged exposure to water. 
B) rapid expansion and contraction of super-heated and ice-cold water through most of the pipes. 
C) use of highly corrosive saltwater throughout most of the water pipes. 
D) bombardment of materials by neutrons produced by fission.

Question 9

The number of reactants and products varies in fission and fusion reactions.

Accepted Answer

A) Fission begins with one reactant and yields two atomic products and a release of energy. 
B) Fission begins with two reactants and yields one atomic product and a release of energy. 
C) Fusion combines three reactants and yields one atomic product and a release of energy. 
D) Fusion begins with one reactant and yields two atomic products and a release of energy. 
A) Fission begins with one reactant and yields two atomic products and a release of energy. 
B) Fission begins with two reactants and yields one atomic product and a release of energy. 
C) Fusion combines three reactants and yields one atomic product and a release of energy. 
D) Fusion begins with one reactant and yields two atomic products and a release of energy.

Question 10

The Megatons to Megawatts program involves a U.S.-Russian agreement to

Accepted Answer

A) use uranium from Russian nuclear warheads as fuel for U.S.nuclear power plants. 
B) use uranium from U.S.nuclear warheads as fuel for Russian nuclear power plants. 
C) store high-level nuclear waste in common sites,buried in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. 
D) convert uranium from nuclear weapons into fuel to power spacecraft. 
A) use uranium from Russian nuclear warheads as fuel for U.S.nuclear power plants. 
B) use uranium from U.S.nuclear warheads as fuel for Russian nuclear power plants. 
C) store high-level nuclear waste in common sites,buried in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. 
D) convert uranium from nuclear weapons into fuel to power spacecraft.

Question 11

Fission and fusion reactions

Accepted Answer

A) convert a tiny amount of the mass of the nuclear materials to energy. 
B) convert energy to the mass of the nuclear materials. 
C) release energy without a change in the mass of the nuclear materials. 
D) invest energy to generate nuclear materials. 
A) convert a tiny amount of the mass of the nuclear materials to energy. 
B) convert energy to the mass of the nuclear materials. 
C) release energy without a change in the mass of the nuclear materials. 
D) invest energy to generate nuclear materials.

Question 12

A loss-of-accident (LOCA),as in the Fukushima Daiichi plant

Accepted Answer

A) will result in a nuclear explosion,like a nuclear bomb,if not quickly corrected. 
B) is not a safety hazard because the nuclear reactions in core are automatically shut down. 
C) if not corrected could result in a meltdown of fuel rods leading to a steam explosion. 
D) may cause a meltdown but never a release of radiation into the environment. 
A) will result in a nuclear explosion,like a nuclear bomb,if not quickly corrected. 
B) is not a safety hazard because the nuclear reactions in core are automatically shut down. 
C) if not corrected could result in a meltdown of fuel rods leading to a steam explosion. 
D) may cause a meltdown but never a release of radiation into the environment.

Question 13

Looking at the number of nuclear power plants under construction in 2010,

Accepted Answer

A) the largest numbers have been in the United States,Canada,and France. 
B) China,the Russian Federation and India are in the lead. 
C) nuclear power is on the way out globally,with coal-fired plants rising steeply. 
D) the IAEA predicts that the current trend will be reversed. 
A) the largest numbers have been in the United States,Canada,and France. 
B) China,the Russian Federation and India are in the lead. 
C) nuclear power is on the way out globally,with coal-fired plants rising steeply. 
D) the IAEA predicts that the current trend will be reversed.

Question 14

Compared to standard fission reactors,fast-neutron reactors are

Accepted Answer

A) less expensive to build. 
B) less expensive to operate. 
C) more efficient in fuel use. 
D) safer,requiring less security. 
A) less expensive to build. 
B) less expensive to operate. 
C) more efficient in fuel use. 
D) safer,requiring less security.

Question 15

Incorporation of passive safety features in nuclear power plants would reduce the chances of a disaster by reducing the chances of

Accepted Answer

A) human error. 
B) retraction of the control rods. 
C) terrorist attacks. 
D) design flaws. 
A) human error. 
B) retraction of the control rods. 
C) terrorist attacks. 
D) design flaws.

Question 16

The Chernobyl nuclear accident about 25 years ago

Accepted Answer

A) resulted in only five deaths and the loss of less than two square miles of land. 
B) spread large amounts of deadly radiation over thousands of square miles. 
C) avoided a complete core meltdown because of heroic intervention by two men who later died from radiation exposure. 
D) was cleaned up and the nuclear reactor rebuilt in 1994 and has been free of problems ever since. 
A) resulted in only five deaths and the loss of less than two square miles of land. 
B) spread large amounts of deadly radiation over thousands of square miles. 
C) avoided a complete core meltdown because of heroic intervention by two men who later died from radiation exposure. 
D) was cleaned up and the nuclear reactor rebuilt in 1994 and has been free of problems ever since.

Question 17

NIMBY is

Accepted Answer

A) a publicly perceived risk of siting a toxic or nuclear waste disposal facility near their homes. 
B) the U.S.federal agency that oversees nuclear power facilities. 
C) a U.N.organization in Geneva that directs the medical use of radioactive isotopes. 
D) the deciding factor in the approval of theYucca Mountain disposal site in Nevada. 
A) a publicly perceived risk of siting a toxic or nuclear waste disposal facility near their homes. 
B) the U.S.federal agency that oversees nuclear power facilities. 
C) a U.N.organization in Geneva that directs the medical use of radioactive isotopes. 
D) the deciding factor in the approval of theYucca Mountain disposal site in Nevada.

Question 18

Radon is an odorless radioactive gas that you cannot taste or see.Exposure to this naturally occurring gas can be dangerously high in any home in North America.Homes must be specially tested for exposure levels for residents to understand their risks.If risks are high,venting systems can be installed to significantly lower indoor levels of exposure.The most likely health problem associated with long-term exposure to this radioactive gas is

Accepted Answer

A) a stroke or heart attack. 
B) lung cancer. 
C) elevated blood pressure. 
D) obesity leading to diabetes. 
A) a stroke or heart attack. 
B) lung cancer. 
C) elevated blood pressure. 
D) obesity leading to diabetes.

Question 19

Riding along the road on your bicycle,you make a sharp right turn,hit some gravel,and tumble to the ground striking your shoulder.You are in a lot of pain.Worrying that you might have broken your shoulder blade or a rib,you walk your bike to the nearby hospital for emergency care.
-Your doctor orders X-rays taken of your upper chest and back.As you lay down and prepare for the X-ray to be taken,a lead blanket is rested over your lower abdomen.The assistant placed the lead blanket on your abdomen to

Accepted Answer

A) reflect the X-rays to your shoulder. 
B) shield your gonads from irradiation. 
C) push you firmly against the table for a clear photo of your chest. 
D) steady you,so that you do not move as they take the X-ray image. 
A) reflect the X-rays to your shoulder. 
B) shield your gonads from irradiation. 
C) push you firmly against the table for a clear photo of your chest. 
D) steady you,so that you do not move as they take the X-ray image.

Question 20

Much of the recent increased interest in nuclear power is related to

Accepted Answer

A) the limited supply of coal to generate electricity. 
B) the limited supply of natural gas to generate electricity. 
C) increasing costs of oil and gasoline. 
D) concerns about global climate change. 
A) the limited supply of coal to generate electricity. 
B) the limited supply of natural gas to generate electricity. 
C) increasing costs of oil and gasoline. 
D) concerns about global climate change.

Exam 15: Nuclear Power

Over the past 30 years in the United States,nuclear power production

Long-term storage of military nuclear waste

Nuclear bombs rely upon

Compared to the generation of electricity using coal,nuclear power

The use of nuclear power throughout the world is generally

If a nuclear reactor generates the expected amount of heated water but no electricity,it is most likely a problem with the

Throughout the world,there is general agreement that the safest place to store long-term nuclear waste is

Unlike corrosion,embrittlement results in the degradation of nuclear power plant materials from the

The number of reactants and products varies in fission and fusion reactions.

The Megatons to Megawatts program involves a U.S.-Russian agreement to

Fission and fusion reactions

A loss-of-accident (LOCA),as in the Fukushima Daiichi plant

Looking at the number of nuclear power plants under construction in 2010,

Compared to standard fission reactors,fast-neutron reactors are

Incorporation of passive safety features in nuclear power plants would reduce the chances of a disaster by reducing the chances of

The Chernobyl nuclear accident about 25 years ago

NIMBY is

Much of the recent increased interest in nuclear power is related to

Science and the Environment

Economics, Politics, and Public Policy

Basic Needs of Living Things

Populations and Communities

Ecosystems: Energy, Patterns, and Disturbance

Wild Species and Biodiversity

The Use and Restoration of Ecosystems

The Human Population

Population and Development

Water: Hydrologic Cycle and Human Use

Soil: Foundation for Land Ecosystems

The Production and Distribution of Food

Pests and Pest Control

Energy From Fossil Fuels

Renewable Energy

Environmental Hazards and Human Health

Global Climate Change

Atmospheric Pollution

Water Pollution and Its Prevention

Municipal Solid Waste: Disposal and Recovery

Hazardous Chemicals: Pollution and Prevention

Sustainable Communities and Lifestyles

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