CHAPTER 15—NONRENEWABLE ENERGY
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The Industrial Revolution began in Europe how many years before the present?
a. / 75b. / 125
c. / 200
d. / 275
e. / 325
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult TOP: 15-0 Core Case Study
2. The internal combustion engine was invented in what year?
a. / 1928b. / 1900
c. / 1885
d. / 1843
e. / 1794
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: 15-0 Core Case Study
3. In order to get high-quality energy you must use high-quality energy. This rule is the result of which of the following?
a. / the law of diminishing returnsb. / the law of gravity
c. / federal law
d. / the first law of thermodynamics
e. / the second law of thermodynamics
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-1 What Is Net Energy and Why Is It Important?
4. The second law of thermodynamics means dictates which of the following?
a. / it takes a lot of energy to make high-quality energy from low-quality energyb. / some high-quality energy is always degraded
c. / the amount of energy in the universe is constantly changing
d. / high-quality energy does not degrade
e. / it takes high-quality energy to get high-quality energy
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
TOP: 15-1 What Is Net Energy and Why Is It Important?
5. The total amount of high-quality energy available after the energy needed to make it available is subtracted, is called
a. / net energyb. / total energy
c. / useful energy
d. / gross energy
e. / entropy
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-1 What Is Net Energy and Why Is It Important?
6. When the net energy ratio is below what figure is there a net energy loss?
a. / 3b. / 2
c. / 1
d. / 0
e. / -1
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
TOP: 15-1 What Is Net Energy and Why Is It Important?
7. As the difficulty in obtaining an energy source increases, the net energy ratio ____ and the price ____.
a. / declines: declinesb. / declines; increases
c. / increases; declines
d. / increases; increases
e. / levels off; levels off
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
TOP: 15-1 What Is Net Energy and Why Is It Important?
8. Currently, oil has a high net energy ratio because
a. / It is found in small deposits.b. / It is found in stable countries.
c. / It comes from cheap-to-extract deposits.
d. / It comes from inaccessible places.
e. / It does not take much money to get it.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-1 What Is Net Energy and Why Is It Important?
9. Any energy resource with a low or negative net energy yield cannot compete in the open marketplace with other energy alternatives with high net energy yields unless…
a. / it is the only source of energyb. / people are nostalgic about using it
c. / advertising is really good
d. / told to use it by a dictator
e. / subsidized by the government or some other funding source
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-1 What Is Net Energy and Why Is It Important?
10. What percentage of the commercial energy used in the U.S. is wasted?
a. / 100%b. / 84%
c. / 67%
d. / 50%
e. / 31%
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 15-1 What Is Net Energy and Why Is It Important?
11. All of the following are ways the United States unnecessarily wastes energy, except
a. / driving gas-guzzling vehiclesb. / getting electricity from inefficient coal-burning power plants
c. / using geothermal energy
d. / living in poorly designed, leaky, inefficient buildings
e. / using inefficient lighting, furnaces and air conditioners
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-1 What Is Net Energy and Why Is It Important?
12. The point at which pressure in a well begins to drop and production begins to decline is called:
a. / decline pointb. / end point
c. / reduction point
d. / peak production
e. / dropping point
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 15-2 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Oil?
13. The United States uses what percentage of all the oil produced in the world?
a. / 6%b. / 8%
c. / 11%
d. / 16%
e. / 23%
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 15-2 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Oil?
14. Which of the following is not a member of OPEC?
a. / Saudi Arabiab. / United States
c. / Kuwait
d. / Nigeria
e. / Venezuela
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-2 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Oil?
15. Which of the following is not true if the rate of global consumption continues to grow exponentially at 2% per year?
a. / Saudi Arabian proven reserves would last 7 yearsb. / proven reserves under Alaska’s North Slope would meet U.S. demand for 3 years
c. / Alaska’s ANWR unproven reserves would meet U.S. demand for 24 months
d. / the Bakken oil formation in the U.S. would last 10 years
e. / if people of China use as much as people of U.S. we need 7 more Saudi Arabias
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
TOP: 15-2 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Oil?
16. What percentage of the U.S. oil consumption is imported?
a. / 85%b. / 60%
c. / 44%
d. / 35%
e. / 24%
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-2 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Oil?
17. Which of the following is not an advantage of using conventional crude oil as an energy source?
a. / high net energy yieldb. / efficient distribution system
c. / environmental costs included in market price
d. / ample supply for several decades
e. / low land disruption
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: Figure 15-6 Trade Offs: Conventional Oil
18. Burning oil products for transportation produces how much of the world's CO2 emissions?
a. / 5%b. / 18%
c. / 23%
d. / 43%
e. / 50%
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 15-2 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Oil?
19. Oil sand is made up of all of the following except
a. / bitumenb. / water
c. / clay
d. / natural gas
e. / sand
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-2 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Oil?
20. The advantages of using oil shale and tar sand include all of the following, except
a. / large potential suppliesb. / easily transported within countries
c. / efficient distribution system in place
d. / easily transported between countries
e. / high net energy yield
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: Figure 15-10 Trade-Offs: Heavy Oils from Oil Shale and Tar Sand
21. The disadvantages of oil shale and tar sand as an energy sources include all of the following, except
a. / low net energy yieldb. / severe land disruption
c. / low potential supplies
d. / releases carbon dioxide and other air pollutants when produced and burned
e. / high water use
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: Figure 15-10 Trade-Offs: Heavy Oils from Oil Shale and Tar Sand
22. Almost 72% of the world's reserves of oil shale are found in
a. / The United Statesb. / Russia
c. / Canada
d. / Iraq
e. / Ukraine
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 15-2 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Oil?
23. Which of the following is the primary gas in natural gas?
a. / ethaneb. / methane
c. / propane
d. / butane
e. / hydrogen sulfide
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 15-3 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Natural Gas?
24. Which of the following countries has the largest proven reserves of natural gas?
a. / Iranb. / Qatar
c. / United States
d. / Russia
e. / Saudi Arabia
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 15-3 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Natural Gas?
25. Which of the following is true of natural gas?
a. / it is easy to transport.b. / it has a high net energy ratio.
c. / it emits less carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels
d. / it is pumped into pressurized tanks at deep sea oil rigs
e. / the U.S. has more natural gas reserves than Russia.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-3 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Natural Gas?
26. Which of the following would be a place you would expect to find methane hydrate gas?
a. / Arctic ice sheetb. / Greenland ice sheet
c. / high mountain glaciers
d. / permanent snow pack
e. / Tundra permafrost
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
TOP: 15-3 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Natural Gas?
27. Which of the following countries has the largest of the proven reserves of coal?
a. / Russiab. / China
c. / U.S.
d. / Australia
e. / India
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal?
28. In the U.S., coal-burning power plants produce what percentage of the electricity?
a. / 2%b. / 21%
c. / 45%
d. / 19%
e. / 9%
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal?
29. Who has the world's largest coal reserves?
a. / Indiab. / U.S.
c. / Russia
d. / China
e. / Australia
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal?
30. In China air pollution is causing as many as ____ premature deaths per year.
a. / 1,000b. / 30,000
c. / 200,000
d. / 700,000
e. / 1,000,000
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal?
31. Which of the following is not a problem with burning coal?
a. / it is the dirtiest of all fossil fuelsb. / it releases large amounts of black carbon particulates
c. / it emits trace amounts of radioactive materials
d. / burning coal produces a highly toxic ash
e. / supplies of coal are very limited
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal?
32. In the United States, fine-particle pollution, mostly from coal-burning power plants, kills how many people each year?
a. / 5,000b. / 7,000
c. / 12,000
d. / 18,000
e. / 24,000
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
TOP: 15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal?
33. According to the U.S. Energy Administration and the Worldwatch Institute, when the harmful costs of using coal are included in the cost of coal, it becomes
a. / the most expensive way to produce electricityb. / the second most expensive way to produce electricity
c. / the third most expensive way to produce electricity
d. / the fourth most expensive way to produce electricity
e. / the least expensive way to produce electricity
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal?
34. Burning coal, along with removing pollutants from the emissions, results in the accumulation of all of the following, except
a. / radioactive radonb. / uranium
c. / arsenic
d. / lead
e. / mercury
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal?
35. U.S. coal companies and coal-burning utilities have suggested there is something called clean-coal. Which of the following is false about clean coal?
a. / stricter pollution controls will not stop release of some carbon dioxideb. / burning coal will always result in production of hazardous ash
c. / one type of coal is significantly cleaner than other types
d. / climate scientist James Hansen calls coal the single greatest threat to civilization
e. / air pollutants will always be released by burning coal
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal?
36. When compared to burning coal directly, producing synfuels has all of the following disadvantages, except
a. / requires mining 50% more coalb. / production and burning of synfuels could release 50% more carbon dioxide
c. / synfuels have lower net energy yield than conventional coal
d. / synfuels require greatly increased use of water
e. / supplies are quite low
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-4 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Coal?
37. How much of the energy in a light-water reactor is lost?
a. / 26%b. / 42%
c. / 63%
d. / 75%
e. / 83%
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-5 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Nuclear Energy?
38. If the energy required to mine, purify, and transport the uranium, along with cleaning up the radioactive wastes, are included in energy lost in nuclear plants, the net energy loss amounts to what percentage?
a. / 100%b. / 98%
c. / 96%
d. / 94%
e. / 92%
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
TOP: 15-5 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Nuclear Energy?
39. The worst nuclear power accident in the United States occurred in 1979 in what state?
a. / New Yorkb. / Connecticut
c. / Pennsylvania
d. / California
e. / Washington
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: Figure 15-20 Science:
40. Which of the following is not a reason nuclear power has declined in the United States?
a. / nuclear accidents in the U.S. and the Ukraineb. / declining amount of available uranium
c. / poor management
d. / concerns about radioactive waste disposal
e. / extremely high cost of plant construction
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
TOP: 15-5 What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Nuclear Energy?
41. Which of the following is not true of nuclear powered electricity generation?
a. / plenty of uraniumb. / low CO2 emissions
c. / less land disruption than coal
d. / high net energy yield
e. / requires huge subsidies
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate