Chapter 18 Test

What is one advantage of using solar power?

• at night no power can be made

• it is free

• it is renewable

Which of the following is a nonrenewable resource?

• solar

• hydropower

• coal

• wind

Which energy contributes to air pollution?

• hydropower

• geothermal

• solar

• biomass

Which energy source has no greenhouse gas emissions or health impacts on humans, but is only available in certain geographic locations?

• geothermal

• nuclear power

• hydrogen fuel

• natural gas

In the United States, which of the following would increase energy efficiency?

• using public transportation and developing more efficient engines for vehicles

• turning thermostats down in winter and up in summer

• insulating homes and businesses

• All of the above

Coal is formed when

• sediments cover dead marine organisms and heat converts them into complex, energy-rich carbon molecules.

• deposits of methane are subjected to high pressure until they condense into crystals.

• swamplands are buried by sediment. The added weight creates heat and pressure that converts the plants to coal.

• organic remains get trapped in nonporous rock and merge into large bodies of complex, energy rich carbon molecules.

A building that is utilizing large windows on its southern side for heating is an example of the use of

• wind energy.

• active solar energy.

• photovoltaic energy.

• passive solar energy

Which of the following is an advantage of nuclear energy?

• It does not produce solid waste.

• It is cost-efficient.

• It poses no safety risks.

• It does not produce air pollution.

The earliest nuclear fission reactors required the action of an operator to shut down safely in the event of a problem. Today, scientists have designed passively safe nuclear plants that do not require human intervention to shut down safely. Which of the following best describes why the design of fission reactors has changed?

• The scientists that developed the first nuclear power plants did not care about safety.

• The scientists that design modern nuclear reactors do not look at earlier designs.

• Scientists have applied what they learned from early nuclear plants to create better designs.

• Scientists working on the first nuclear power plants did not know how nuclear fission worked.

What percentage of our energy use comes from fossil fuels?

• 25%

• 45%

• 61%

• 86%