Multiple Choice Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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What is the main reason why fewer nuclear power plants are being built today
compared to 40 years ago?
a. | Nuclear fusion power plants are being built instead. | b. | Federal laws were
passed prohibiting the development of new nuclear power plants. | c. | Nuclear power plants
have become too expensive to generate electricity at a reasonable cost. | d. | Supplies of U235 are
exhausted. |
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2.
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Which of the following accurately describes the use of fossil fuels for
energy?
a. | At the present rate, we will run out of fossil fuels in about 250
years. | b. | Burning fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere. | c. | Fossil fuels account for 69 percent of the electricity generated in the United
States. | d. | All of the above |
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3.
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Electric generators work by
a. | converting oil into electricity. | b. | turning turbines in a dam. | c. | converting
mechanical energy into electrical energy. | d. | rubbing copper against a substance that does
not conduct electricity. |
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4.
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Oil and natural gas result from
a. | the migration of complex carbohydrate molecules to nonporous rock
formations. | b. | the decay of tiny marine organisms that accumulated on the ocean floor millions of
years ago. | c. | the burning of high-sulfur, low-grade uranium. | d. | the decay of plants
that lived in swamps hundreds of thousands of years ago. |
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5.
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Inside the combustion chamber of a coal-fired power plant,
a. | steam is directed against turbine blades and causes the blades to
turn. | b. | the turbine sets the generator in motion. | c. | electricity is
generated. | d. | burning fossil fuels release energy in the form of
heat. |
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6.
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Most of the energy consumed in the United States is used for
a. | residential electrical needs. | c. | transportation. | b. | commercial
electrical needs. | d. | industrial purposes. |
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7.
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The energy needs for the United States in the 1990s
a. | rose dramatically. | c. | rose slightly. | b. | fell dramatically. | d. | fell slightly. |
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8.
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A nuclear reactor is
a. | powered by a combustion chamber in which uranium is burned. | b. | surrounded by a
thick pressure vessel that is filled with a cooling fluid. | c. | superheated by water
until the control rods are set into motion. | d. | constructed from thick aluminum walls that can
control the nuclear reactions. |
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9.
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New nuclei and neutrons result from
a. | nuclear fusion. | b. | the release of electrons from a positively
charged atom. | c. | the splitting of an atom’s nucleus. | d. | the splitting of an
atom’s neutron. |
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10.
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Nuclear fusion
a. | must take place at extremely high temperatures. | b. | does not release a
great amount of energy. | c. | must take place in low-density
containers. | d. | results in nuclei that are lighter in weight than the nuclei that existed before the
reaction. |
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11.
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Storage sites for nuclear wastes
a. | can only be located only in mountain ranges. | b. | will always leak
lethal amounts of radioactivity. | c. | should be located only in areas that are
extremely geologically stable. | d. | should be able to undergo the process of
transmutation. |
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12.
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Solar energy, or energy from the sun, is contained in
a. | uranium. | c. | fossil fuels. | b. | radioactive waste. | d. | all nonrenewable
resources. |
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13.
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A fuel’s suitability is dependent on all the following factors,
except
a. | energy content. | c. | availability. | b. | cost. | d. | magnetism. |
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14.
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How is electrical energy generated in a coal-fired power plant?
a. | The heat generated from burning coal turns water into steam, which turns a turbine,
thus running the electric generator. | b. | The coal is burned, which heats the air. The
hot air rises and turns the electric generator’s turbine. | c. | The turbine breaks
down the coal into a liquid fuel that powers the electric generator, thus producing an electric
current. | d. | The coal is heated until it vaporizes. The coal vapor is distilled in the combustion
chamber, which powers the electric generator. |
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15.
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Which country uses the least amount of energy per person?
a. | Argentina | c. | United States | b. | Japan | d. | Canada |
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16.
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Coal is formed when
a. | sediments cover dead marine organisms and heat converts them into complex,
energy-rich carbon molecules. | b. | deposits of methane are subjected to high
pressure until they condense into crystals. | c. | swamplands are buried by sediment. The added
weight creates heat and pressure that converts the plants to coal. | d. | organic remains get
trapped in nonporous rock and merge into large bodies of complex, energy-rich carbon
molecules. |
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17.
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Which of the following is an advantage of using fossil fuels for energy?
a. | the resulting air pollution | c. | limited
quantities | b. | versatility in their uses | d. | toxic by-products |
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18.
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Which of the following factors does not help predict future oil
production?
a. | the number of oil refineries operating in the past | b. | changes in
technology | c. | cost of obtaining fuels | d. | number of oil deposits
discovered |
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19.
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During the process of nuclear fission,
a. | a neutron splits a uranium-235 atom, forming new elements and releasing several
neutrons, plus energy. | b. | a neutron splits a daughter nucleus, thus
creating uranium-234. | c. | radioactivity causes the neutron of a
uranium-235 atom to split in two. | d. | a lightweight atom combines with another
lightweight atom to create a single, heavy atom. |
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20.
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In a nuclear power plant,
a. | three pipe circuits pump water through the reactor, turbine, and cooling
tower. | b. | solid uranium pellets are bombarded with steam in the control
rods. | c. | nuclear fusion superheats water in the reactor, causing steam to power the
turbine. | d. | solid neutron pellets undergo a chain reaction and release massive amounts of
heat. |
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21.
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Which of the following is an advantage of nuclear energy?
a. | It does not produce solid waste. | c. | It poses no safety
risks. | b. | It is cost-efficient. | d. | It does not produce air pollution. |
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22.
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Which of the following is not a main use of fuel?
a. | transportation | c. | heating and cooling buildings | b. | manufacturing | d. | cooking |
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23.
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The energy in fossil fuels is often converted into
a. | electrical energy. | c. | uranium. | b. | magnetic fields. | d. | power plants. |
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24.
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Much of the oil and natural gas in the United States is located in
a. | Alaska, Minnesota, New York, and Texas. | b. | Alaska, California,
Michigan, and Nevada. | c. | Texas, Colorado, New York, and the Gulf of
Mexico. | d. | Alaska, Texas, California, and the Gulf of Mexico. |
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25.
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Oil production is still increasing, but it
a. | will start decreasing in the next year. | b. | is increasing much
more dramatically than it did in the past. | c. | will start decreasing in the next five
years. | d. | is increasing much more slowly than it did in the
1960s. |
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