Earth Science Unit 3 Lesson 1 Quiz

Which choice accurately breaks down the question of whether paper or plastic bags are better for the environment into two smaller questions?

• What amount of carbon compounds does each release during production and use? What is the impact on the biosphere after each is used?

• Are reusable bags a better choice than either paper or plastic? How much do paper bags cost to make?

• Are some plastic bags made of plastics that are less harmful to the environment? Can plastic bags be recycled?

• Do bans on plastic bags in favor of paper bags hurt grocery store sales? Do advertisements work better on paper or plastic bags?

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Why does the use of fossil fuels present a major global challenge?

• The gases they release when burned are difficult to track, and the power they provide is inconsistent.

• They are technically a nonrenewable resource, but at the rate we are using them, they can be considered renewable.

• The pollution they cause must be balanced with their abundance and relatively cheap costs when their hidden costs are not accounted for.

• The removal of fossil fuels from the ground has been shown to significantly alter the degree of Earth’s tilt, resulting in a change of climate.

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What are two ways to reduce the amount of water during the life cycle of a pair of jeans by using engineering solutions?

• Develop and use washing machines that use less water, and design and use more efficient irrigation systems in cotton fields.

• Design a material that results in few carbon emissions during its life cycle, and design and use a more efficient clothes dryer.

• Construct structures to prevent pollution from cotton fields from running into freshwater bodies, and use more environmental friendly detergents.

• Design a computer model that accurately predicts the amount of water used in the life cycle of jeans, and encourage people to buy alternatives to jeans.

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Some are suggesting we use the space along roadways to place solar panels to help us meet our power needs. What is one constraint on this idea?

• The solar panels would need to be long lasting.

• The production time on these panels would be low relative to other possible problems.

• The cost of solar panels that could last long enough next to pollution-emitting cars and trucks might be too high.

• The solar panels would need to be designed in such a way that the public would not complain that they look ugly along the road.

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Which statement explains why a coastal town did not select the brightest light possible to light up a boardwalk at night?

• The criteria used for the selection did not include cost.

• A constraint included for the selection was the use of nontoxic paint on the light poles.

• A constraint included for the selection was to not have the light so bright as to negatively affect wildlife.

• The criteria used for the selection did not include a limit on the source of the electricity used to light the bulbs.

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A town is looking to save money on its light posts, but it wants to maintain the same amount of lighting as it currently has. What new technology would help achieve this goal?

• light bulbs with a different color temperature

• light bulbs that use fewer lumens but produce more watts

• light bulbs that use fewer watts but produce the same number of lumens

• light bulbs that use a current of protons rather than a current of electrons

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What is the primary benefit of LED lights over standard light bulbs in terms of natural resources?

• LEDs are cheaper to produce than standard light bulbs.

• At the same wattage, LEDs produce fewer harmful lumens.

• Since LEDs require less power to light, fewer fossil fuels need to be extracted.

• Unlike standard lights, LED lights can be powered by alternative forms of electricity that use renewable sources of energy.

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An engineering team is developing a new type of solar panel that can provide electrical energy more cheaply and efficiently than existing models. Initial tests of a prototype, however, reveal that the ceramic material used in its construction has a lower-than-expected efficiency. Which statement best describes how the researchers could optimize the design?

• Make adjustments to the ceramic material, and retest the design.

• Construct a different design that is expected to have higher efficiency.

• Identify the end goal of what the solar panel must be able to do.

• Use available information, and brainstorm ideas for the solar panel design

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Which statement accurately describes power plants that use solar energy to those that use energy from burning coal to generate electricity?

• Solar power plants require additional fuels to operate, but coal-fired power plants do not.

• Generating electricity is less expensive using solar energy than energy from burning coal.

• Solar power plants are more expensive to maintain than coal-fired power plants.

• Installation of a solar power plant is more expensive than installation of a coal-fired power plant.

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