ENVS 1126 - Exam 3
The red line represents annual human consumption of paleoproduction by fossil fuel combustion. The dashed line indicates current annual net primary production (NPP) for the entire planet. Estimate in what year the annual consumption of paleoproduction surpassed Earth’s current annual NPP.
1850
1890
1920
1960
Estimate in what year our consumption of paleoproduction reached 100 times Earth’s current annual net primary production.
1850
1890
1920
1960
Compared to the generation of electricity using coal, nuclear power
Generates no sulfur dioxide or carbon dioxide emissions.
Generates no sulfur dioxide but more carbon dioxide emissions.
Will run out of fuel in about 40 years.
Contributes more to global climate change.
The fossil fuels that we burn today were formed long ago from buried organic matter. However, only a small fraction of the original organic carbon remains in the coal, oil, or natural gas that is formed. Thus, it requires approximately 90 metric tons of ancient organic matter—so-called paleoproduction—to result in just 3.8 L (1 gal) of gasoline. The graph presents estimates of the amount of paleoproduction required to produce the fossil fuels humans used each year between 1750 and 2000. If the paleoproduction consumption line reached a peak in 2000 and began to decline at the same rate it increased, in what year would we be at global net primary productivity again?
2130
2040
2080
2110
Which one of the followings correctly explains the number of reactants and products involved in fission or fusion reactions?
Fission begins with two reactants and yields one atomic product and a release of energy
Fusion combines three reactants and yields one atomic product and a release of energy
Fission begins with one reactant and yields two atomic products and a release of energy
Fusion begins with one reactant and yields two atomic products and a release of energy
If the radiation you received from your x-ray does pose a health risk, how can this radiation cause the greatest harm?
Your nerves in the irradiated region may have been killed, causing you to lose sensation and control.
Most of the cells in the irradiated region were heated and killed by the x-ray energy.
Your DNA in cells that were radiated may be damaged.
Enough of your blood cells in the irradiated region may have been killed to make you sick.
Which one of the following fossil fuels is produced by hydraulic fracturing?
Natural gas
Shale gas
Oil sand
Coal
EROI or EROEI analysis can be used to analyze
The world energy consumption
The distribution of oil reserves around the world
The viability of energy production
The effects of hydraulic fracturing on the environment
Fission and fusion reactions
Invest energy to generate nuclear materials.
Convert the mass of the nuclear materials to energy.
release energy without a change in the mass of the nuclear materials.
Convert energy to the mass of the nuclear materials.
Which one of the following fossil fuels produces the least amount of air pollutants?
Natural gas
Oil sand
Petroleum
Coal
Which of the following statements is true about the Combined Heat and Power (also called Cogeneration) technology?
The heat of the gases released by the combustion turbine is recovered in a boiler to produce steam to trun the steam turbine.
It has two types of trubines, a combustion turbine and a steam turbine.
Fule enters the engine that generates electricity while also capturing the heat from the engine to create domestic hot water or space heating.
With the same volume of fuel, the two turbines generate more electricity when they are used together.
134Cs and 137Cs have the same__________
Number of protons.
Atomic mass.
number of neutrons.
How many nuclear power plants are in operation in Louisiana?
2
3
1
4
Ionizing radiation takes a few forms. These forms include Alpha, beta, and neutron particles, and gamma and X-rays. Which of the following statements is true about radiation?
All of them.
Neutron radiation consists of a free neutron and it is able to be effectively stopped if blocked by water.
In order to reach a stable state, a radioactive atom must release its extra energy or mass in the form of radiation.
All forms of radiation are caused by unstable atoms.
Fossil fuel can be defined as
Unstable atoms that exhibit radioactivity
Hydrocarbon deposits derived from living matter of a previous geologic time and used for fuel
Natural energy sources that are not depleted
Clean energy sources that contribute to the development of a low-carbon future
Which one of the followings is the world’s largest source of carbon dioxide?
Transportation
Nuclear fission
Coal Burning
Heating
Reliance on the continued use of fossil fuels is not sustainable because fossil fuels are
concentrated in countries that are not politically stable.
Not renewable and contribute to global climate change.
Not renewable and are primarily from politically unstable regions.
not significant sources of energy and are increasing in cost.
In nuclear _____, a large atom of one element is split into two atoms of different elements and emits ______.
fission; energy
Fission; mass
Fusion; energy
fusion; mass
None of these; this is not the way nuclear power is generated.
Enrichment of nuclear fuel
Increases the relative concentration of uranium-235 to 30-50% to avoid a nuclear explosion at higher percentages.
Decreases the relative concentration of uranium-235 to only 3-5% to avoid a nuclear explosion at higher percentages.
Increases the relative concentration of uranium-235 to only 3-5% to avoid a nuclear explosion at higher percentages.
Decreases the relative concentration of uranium-235 to 30-50% to avoid a nuclear explosion at higher percentages.
In electrical power production using a steam turbine, the role of the turbine is to transform
Mechanical energy into heat energy
Heat energy into mechanical energy
Heat energy into electrical energy
Mechanical energy into electrical energy
Which of these is a correct statement regarding a nuclear reactor?
Fuel rods contain uranium dioxide pellets, which undergo fission.
Radioactive spent-fuel rods are emptied, refilled, and put back into production.
Control rods contain neutron-emitting material that speeds up a chain reaction.
Boiling water reactors use heat from a high-pressure moderator to make steam to drive a turbogenerator.
Moderators speed up neutrons, so they can hit more neutrons and start a chain reaction.
The Hubbert’s Curve can be used to point out that
The oil and gas demand is rising
The oil and gas demand is decreasing
World oil and gas production has a peak
There is an unlimited amount of fossil fuels on the Earth
Which of the following nuclear power accidents was caused by an earthquake strike?
The Three Mile Island accident
The Chernobyl disaster
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster
Radioactive substance A breaks down to substance B with a half-life of 1,000 years. If we start out with eight kilograms of radioactive substance A, how much of those eight kilograms of substance A will remain in 3,000 years?
4 kilograms
2 kilograms
500 grams
1 kilogram
Which one of the followings is used for nuclear fission in nuclear reactors?
137Cs
238U
235U
134Cs
Which one of the following statements is incorrect?
The energy efficiency of electricity generated with fossil fuel is high
Discharging heat waste energy into the surrounding environment can result in thermal pollution
Electrical power is clean at the point of its use
A large amount of heat waste energy is produced during electricity generation
In fluidized-bed combustion, coal is mixed with limestones mainly to
Improve energy efficiency
Neutralize sulfur dioxide
Reduce heat production
Capture carbon dioxide
Which of the following is a natural soil buffer that is abundant in the midwestern United States and helps to reduce the amount of acidification of lakes in that region?
Sand and gravel
Limestone
Granite
Mosses and algae in the soil
In 1948 in Donora, Pennsylvania, the routine release of toxins into the air became a deadly fog because of
A chemical spill in the nearby Monongahela River.
Greatly increased activity of the nearby industries.
The failure of the chemical scrubbing systems on smokestacks.
A thermal inversion and stagnant weather conditions.
Which statement is NOT true about the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)?
The AMOC is sometimes known as thermohaline circulation
Changing the AMOC will abruptly alter the climate.
Global warming during the 21st century is expected to slow the AMOC
Global warming during the 21st century is expected to speed up the AMOC
The abundant formation of hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere
Promotes the formation of nitrous oxides that in turn lower levels of carbon dioxide.
Promotes the formation of ozone that protects against damaging ultraviolet light.
Removes many common pollutants from the stratosphere.
Removes many common pollutants from the troposphere.
Acid rain is rain that has been made acidic by pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in the air. Rainwater having a pH of 4 is
1000 times more acidic than pure water.
100 times more acidic than pure water.
1000 times more basic than pure water.
10 times more acidic than pure water.
10,000 times more acidic than pure water.
Which of the following is true?
CO2 levels are overall increasing but oscillate between seasons.
CO2 levels increase in the spring-fall due to photosynthesis.
CO2 levels increase in the fall-spring due to photosynthesis.
CO2 levels are increasing continuously.
Which one of the following is an example of the consequences of acute exposure?
Workers involved in the production of electrical capacitors at a General Electric plant in New York are exposed to PCBs over a period of 25 years and develop nervous system disorders as a result.
Workers at a nuclear power plant are exposed to low doses of radiation over a period of 20 years and develop cancer as a result of their exposure to the radiation.
Over a period of 30 years, workers at a fur felt hat company are exposed to mercury that was used to treat the fur pelts and eventually develop neurological problems as a result of their exposure to the mercury.
Japanese citizens living in Hiroshima and Nagasaki when the atomic bombs were dropped develop cancer 35 years later as a result of the large doses of radiation they received when the bombs exploded.
Which of the following is a major anthropogenic source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)?
Coal-fired electrical generating plants
Agricultural fertilizers
Nuclear power plants
Incompletely combusted fossil fuels from vehicle exhaust
The catalytic converter on automobiles is intended to do which of the following?
Convert nitrogen oxides to nitrogen gas
Convert unburned hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide
Convert CO to carbon dioxide
All of them
Which of the following are secondary pollutants?
Ozone, PANS, and aldehydes and ketones
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
Carbon monoxide and VOC
Radon and VOC
Most of the weather of the world is based upon changes in the moisture, pressure, and/or temperature of the
Troposphere
Thermosphere
Mesosphere
Stratosphere
How much of the sun’s incoming radiation is reflected back into space?
45%
30%
15%
60%
In which of the following regions would we most expect to find industrial smog?
In a farming region that primarily produces either cotton, soybeans, or corn
In southern Florida in high tourist regions along the beaches
Around an industrial town that burns coal to generate electricity and make steel
Around a city that primarily relies on nuclear energy and public transportation
The most widespread and serious pollutant(s) of the atmosphere include
Suspended particulates.
Volatile organic compounds.
Carbon monoxide.
Nitrogen oxides.
All of the above
Which of the following is not a cause of warming?
Increased emissions
Variations in solar forcing
Loss of the cryosphere
Increased use of aerosols in the US
Which of the following is true?
Greenhouse gases provide the earth with insulation that allows for human life, but too much will cause our planet to freeze.
Greenhouse gases provide the earth with insulation that allows for human life, but too much will cause our planet to be too hot.
Greenhouse gases are positive for the Earth’s climate, no matter the amount.
Greenhouse gases are negative for the Earth’s climate, no matter the amount.
Ozone in the UPPER atmosphere
Is a pollutant.
Is necessary to screen out ultraviolet radiation.
Is necessary to maintain the temperature of the Earth.
Is necessary to maintain ocean circulation.
None of the above
Factors that determine the level of local air pollution include
The amount of pollutants entering the air.
The volume of air into which the pollutants are dispersed.
The mechanisms that remove pollutants from the air.
The rate of movement of local air masses.
All of the above
Which of the following statements regarding ozone depletion is FALSE?
Each chlorine atom in the stratosphere destroys one ozone molecule.
Preliminary studies have correlated ozone loss with increases in uv-B radiation reaching the Earth's surface.
The Montreal Protocol is an agreement signed by 92 (184) nations with an aim toward protecting the ozone layer.
Reduction in ozone concentrations in the stratosphere is predicted to result in increased incidence of skin cancer.
Increases in ocean temperatures often result in coral bleaching, in which
The water becomes so cloudy that no light can reach the symbiotic algae in corals.
High levels of chlorine are released from the corals, killing the fish that swim by.
The calcium carbonate of corals is dissolved away, leaving only the soft animals behind.
The symbiotic relationship between corals and their algae is disrupted.
The RPCs predicted different levels of radiative forcing. All four scenarios produced hotter temperatures, but which RCP are we on track with?
4.5
8.5
2.6
6.0
Global warming during the 21st century is expected to
Have no effect on the thermohaline circulation of the ocean.
Slow the thermohaline circulation of the ocean.
Speed up the thermohaline circulation of the ocean.
Slow the hydrologic cycle.
Based on the following figure, what is expected in the year 2750.
Emissions will be stable, carbon will be stable, and oceans will be stable.
Emissions will be stable, carbon will be decreasing, and oceans will be more basic.
Emissions will be decreasing, carbon will be decreasing, and oceans will be more acidic.
Emissions will be stable, carbon will be decreasing, and oceans will be more acidic.
Based on our most recent understanding of the formation of tropospheric ozone, reducing ozone level in the troposphere requires the reduction of atmospheric levels of
Nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds.
Volatile inorganic compounds.
Nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.
Which one of the following would be the most practical way to reduce levels of photochemical smog in a city that frequently experiences this problem?
Changes in weather that produce more days of sunshine
Reducing the number of automobiles that burn gasoline and the amount of evaporated gasoline
Changes in weather that result in more days of fog
Reducing the amount of electricity generated using windmills
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