Question 1

If in the next decade,nuclear power plants were tripled in the United States,we would expect

Accepted Answer

A) oil prices to increase. 
B) strip-mining of coal to decrease. 
C) the price of natural gas to increase. 
D) decreased interest in electric cars. 
A) oil prices to increase. 
B) strip-mining of coal to decrease. 
C) the price of natural gas to increase. 
D) decreased interest in electric cars.

Question 2

All solar energy on Earth is a result of a reaction of hydrogen atoms combining to form helium.This reaction

Accepted Answer

A) increases the combined mass of the products. 
B) represents a fusion reaction followed by nuclear fission. 
C) is the same general process that occurs in nuclear plants. 
D) is fusion,while nuclear plants rely on fission. 
A) increases the combined mass of the products. 
B) represents a fusion reaction followed by nuclear fission. 
C) is the same general process that occurs in nuclear plants. 
D) is fusion,while nuclear plants rely on fission.

Question 3

Reprocessing of nuclear fuel

Accepted Answer

A) requires the heavy use of lead and iron ore. 
B) eliminates the need for nuclear power plants. 
C) requires additional mining of uranium. 
D) reduces and reuses the stockpile of nuclear waste. 
A) requires the heavy use of lead and iron ore. 
B) eliminates the need for nuclear power plants. 
C) requires additional mining of uranium. 
D) reduces and reuses the stockpile of nuclear waste.

Question 4

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.
-If the radiation you received from your X-ray does pose a health risk,how can this radiation cause the greatest harm?

Accepted Answer

A) Your DNA in cells that were radiated may be damaged by causing mutations. 
B) Enough of your blood cells in the irradiated region may have been killed to make you sick. 
C) Your nerves in the irradiated region may have been killed,causing you to lose sensation and control. 
D) Most of the cells in the irradiated region were heated and killed by the X-ray energy. 
A) Your DNA in cells that were radiated may be damaged by causing mutations. 
B) Enough of your blood cells in the irradiated region may have been killed to make you sick. 
C) Your nerves in the irradiated region may have been killed,causing you to lose sensation and control. 
D) Most of the cells in the irradiated region were heated and killed by the X-ray energy.

Question 5

The nuclear power accidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island are less likely in most modern U.S.nuclear power plants today because of

Accepted Answer

A) the use of different types of fuels in the nuclear cores that cannot cause a total meltdown. 
B) increased reliance on robots to avoid human errors. 
C) additional design features that provide more layers of safety. 
D) new nuclear power plant designs that require only 1% of the nuclear fuel. 
A) the use of different types of fuels in the nuclear cores that cannot cause a total meltdown. 
B) increased reliance on robots to avoid human errors. 
C) additional design features that provide more layers of safety. 
D) new nuclear power plant designs that require only 1% of the nuclear fuel.

Question 6

In the United States and many countries in Europe,there is renewed interest in nuclear power plants because of

Accepted Answer

A) a worldwide shortage of coal. 
B) the spotty availability of natural gas. 
C) concern about global climate change. 
D) the greatly reduced costs associated with generating electricity using nuclear power. 
A) a worldwide shortage of coal. 
B) the spotty availability of natural gas. 
C) concern about global climate change. 
D) the greatly reduced costs associated with generating electricity using nuclear power.

Question 7

Radioactive wastes consist of

Accepted Answer

A) the direct products of fission. 
B) the indirect products of fission. 
C) the direct and indirect products of fission. 
D) the direct and indirect products of fusion. 
A) the direct products of fission. 
B) the indirect products of fission. 
C) the direct and indirect products of fission. 
D) the direct and indirect products of fusion.

Question 8

-The chain reaction in this figure is a

Accepted Answer

A) self-amplifying chain reaction that is used in most U.S.nuclear power plants. 
B) self-amplifying chain reaction that could lead to a nuclear explosion. 
C) sustaining chain reaction using control rods,like that used in most U.S.nuclear power plants. 
D) sustaining reaction without control rods,demonstrating the consequences of no control. 
A) self-amplifying chain reaction that is used in most U.S.nuclear power plants. 
B) self-amplifying chain reaction that could lead to a nuclear explosion. 
C) sustaining chain reaction using control rods,like that used in most U.S.nuclear power plants. 
D) sustaining reaction without control rods,demonstrating the consequences of no control.

Question 9

Radiation exposure immediately around a properly functioning nuclear power plant is about

Accepted Answer

A) 1% greater than the normal environmental background exposure. 
B) double normal environmental background exposure. 
C) 10 times higher than normal environmental background exposure. 
D) 100 times higher than normal environmental background exposure. 
A) 1% greater than the normal environmental background exposure. 
B) double normal environmental background exposure. 
C) 10 times higher than normal environmental background exposure. 
D) 100 times higher than normal environmental background exposure.

Question 10

Radioactive wastes consist of

Accepted Answer

A) high-level direct products of fission. 
B) low-level indirect products of fission. 
C) high-level direct products of fission and low-level indirect products of fission. 
D) the direct and indirect products of fusion. 
A) high-level direct products of fission. 
B) low-level indirect products of fission. 
C) high-level direct products of fission and low-level indirect products of fission. 
D) the direct and indirect products of fusion.

Question 11

The more than 100 nuclear power plants planned 30-40 years ago were never built in large part due to

Accepted Answer

A) increasing incidents of terrorism directed against nuclear plants. 
B) decreased demand for electricity and increased costs of safety features in construction. 
C) pressing demand for electricity,which required simpler coal-fired power plants that could be built faster. 
D) budget constraints stemming from the 2008 recession. 
A) increasing incidents of terrorism directed against nuclear plants. 
B) decreased demand for electricity and increased costs of safety features in construction. 
C) pressing demand for electricity,which required simpler coal-fired power plants that could be built faster. 
D) budget constraints stemming from the 2008 recession.

Question 12

Japan's 55 nuclear power plants are susceptible to tsunami damage because they

Accepted Answer

A) fail to meet basic structural criteria for safety. 
B) are all located along coastlines for easy access to coolant water. 
C) use nuclear fuels that are water soluble. 
D) do not shut down either in response to the earthquakes or tsunamis. 
A) fail to meet basic structural criteria for safety. 
B) are all located along coastlines for easy access to coolant water. 
C) use nuclear fuels that are water soluble. 
D) do not shut down either in response to the earthquakes or tsunamis.

Question 13

The energy released from the sun and other stars comes from

Accepted Answer

A) the fusion of helium into hydrogen. 
B) the fusion of hydrogen into helium. 
C) the fission of helium into hydrogen. 
D) the fission of hydrogen into helium. 
A) the fusion of helium into hydrogen. 
B) the fusion of hydrogen into helium. 
C) the fission of helium into hydrogen. 
D) the fission of hydrogen into helium.

Question 14

Compared to a nuclear plant,a coal-fired plant

Accepted Answer

A) emits much less carbon dioxide. 
B) requires much less mining and results in fewer mining deaths. 
C) contributes to acid rain,and a nuclear plant does not. 
D) releases more than 100 times more radioactivity because of radioactive elements in coal. 
A) emits much less carbon dioxide. 
B) requires much less mining and results in fewer mining deaths. 
C) contributes to acid rain,and a nuclear plant does not. 
D) releases more than 100 times more radioactivity because of radioactive elements in coal.

Question 15

One argument opponents to constructing new nuclear power plants use is that

Accepted Answer

A) construction costs are very low now but will increase in decades to come. 
B) there is a major problem in disposing of nuclear wastes and with possible terrorist attacks. 
C) there is no demand for nuclear power with coal and natural gas so plentiful and cheap. 
D) nuclear power plants are major contributors to global climate change. 
A) construction costs are very low now but will increase in decades to come. 
B) there is a major problem in disposing of nuclear wastes and with possible terrorist attacks. 
C) there is no demand for nuclear power with coal and natural gas so plentiful and cheap. 
D) nuclear power plants are major contributors to global climate change.

Question 16

Enrichment of nuclear fuel

Accepted Answer

A) increases the relative concentration of uranium-235 to only 3-5% to avoid any possibility nuclear explosion at higher percentages. 
B) increases the relative concentration of uranium-235 to 30-50% to avoid a nuclear explosion at higher percentages. 
C) decreases the relative concentration of uranium-235 from 60% to only 3-5% to avoid a nuclear explosion at higher percentages. 
D) decreases the relative concentration of uranium-235 from 100% to 30-50% to avoid a nuclear explosion at higher percentages. 
A) increases the relative concentration of uranium-235 to only 3-5% to avoid any possibility nuclear explosion at higher percentages. 
B) increases the relative concentration of uranium-235 to 30-50% to avoid a nuclear explosion at higher percentages. 
C) decreases the relative concentration of uranium-235 from 60% to only 3-5% to avoid a nuclear explosion at higher percentages. 
D) decreases the relative concentration of uranium-235 from 100% to 30-50% to avoid a nuclear explosion at higher percentages.

Question 17

A much greater use of breeder or fast-neutron reactors would pose a greater safety risk because fast-neutron reactors would generate greater amounts of

Accepted Answer

A) heavy water,which can easily leak out into the local community near nuclear power plants. 
B) radon gas,which over many years can greatly increase the risk of cancer in the region surrounding a nuclear plant. 
C) plutonium,which is more easily used to construct nuclear weapons. 
D) lead,which is widely used in the creation of bullets and other ammunitions. 
A) heavy water,which can easily leak out into the local community near nuclear power plants. 
B) radon gas,which over many years can greatly increase the risk of cancer in the region surrounding a nuclear plant. 
C) plutonium,which is more easily used to construct nuclear weapons. 
D) lead,which is widely used in the creation of bullets and other ammunitions.

If in the next decade,nuclear power plants were tripled in the United States,we would expect

All solar energy on Earth is a result of a reaction of hydrogen atoms combining to form helium.This reaction

Reprocessing of nuclear fuel

The nuclear power accidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island are less likely in most modern U.S.nuclear power plants today because of

In the United States and many countries in Europe,there is renewed interest in nuclear power plants because of

Radioactive wastes consist of

-The chain reaction in this figure is a

Radiation exposure immediately around a properly functioning nuclear power plant is about

Radioactive wastes consist of

The more than 100 nuclear power plants planned 30-40 years ago were never built in large part due to

Japan's 55 nuclear power plants are susceptible to tsunami damage because they

The energy released from the sun and other stars comes from

Compared to a nuclear plant,a coal-fired plant

One argument opponents to constructing new nuclear power plants use is that

Enrichment of nuclear fuel

A much greater use of breeder or fast-neutron reactors would pose a greater safety risk because fast-neutron reactors would generate greater amounts of

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Exam 15: Nuclear Power

If in the next decade,nuclear power plants were tripled in the United States,we would expect

All solar energy on Earth is a result of a reaction of hydrogen atoms combining to form helium.This reaction

Reprocessing of nuclear fuel

The nuclear power accidents at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island are less likely in most modern U.S.nuclear power plants today because of

In the United States and many countries in Europe,there is renewed interest in nuclear power plants because of

Radioactive wastes consist of

-The chain reaction in this figure is a

Radiation exposure immediately around a properly functioning nuclear power plant is about

Radioactive wastes consist of

The more than 100 nuclear power plants planned 30-40 years ago were never built in large part due to

Japan's 55 nuclear power plants are susceptible to tsunami damage because they

The energy released from the sun and other stars comes from

Compared to a nuclear plant,a coal-fired plant

One argument opponents to constructing new nuclear power plants use is that

Enrichment of nuclear fuel

A much greater use of breeder or fast-neutron reactors would pose a greater safety risk because fast-neutron reactors would generate greater amounts of

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

Filters