AP Environmental Science Unit 7

Scientists are testing the effect of different scrubber technologies on the removal of pollutants from coal power plants. The scrubbers use a slurry of limestone and water. Which of the following best describes the impact of modifying the slurry by increasing the amount of limestone?

• The amount of sulfur dioxide released will decrease.

• The amount of ground-level ozone released will decrease.

• The amount of water released will increase.

• The amount of carbon monoxide released will increase.

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Scientists have discovered that Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted from trees can contribute to photochemical smog formation. Data in the table above were collected in 2006 and 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Isoprene is a VOC released by some tree species. Impact factor refers to the percentage of ozone attributed to the isoprene. Which of the following best describes the relationship between variables in the data table?

• Impact factor causes a change in temperature maximum.

• Isoprene levels vary depending on traffic and urbanization.

• Ozone maximum is correlated to average and maximum temperature.

• Changes in average temperature are linked to changes in land use in Berlin.

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Scientists have discovered that Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted from trees can contribute to photochemical smog formation. Data in the table above were collected in 2006 and 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Isoprene is a VOC released by some tree species. Impact factor refers to the percentage of ozone attributed to the isoprene. Which of the following claims is best supported by the data shown in the table?

• Ozone levels are not a serious air quality concern in Berlin.

• Ozone levels in Berlin were consistently higher in 2014 than in 2006.

• Isoprene’s contribution to ozone levels in Berlin was greatest in July of both years.

• Isoprene levels were negatively correlated with maximum temperature.

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Which of the following best describes the process shown in the diagram above?

• Less-dense, cool air rises up and mixes with the denser warm air above it, increasing the amount of thermal pollution in the atmosphere.

• Less-dense, warm air creates a temperature inversion between more-dense layers, trapping pollutants near the ground.

• Dense, warm air from the mountains on the right pushes into the less-dense, cool air mass, causing an inversion layer.

• Movement of air currents over urban areas decreases the amount of photochemical smog during summer months.

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What is the evidence that solar radiation is less important to global warming than the increase in greenhouse gases?

• temperatures have increased more in the summer than in winter

• temperatures have increased more in the winter than in summer

• temperature increases have been uneven across the globe

• there is a historic correlation of CO₂ and temperature

• There is a lack of temperature change in some areas

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Particulate matter can increase global warming by

• reacting with chlorofluorocarbons

• reducing surface absorption of ultraviolet radiation

• producing additional nitrous oxides

• reflecting radiation

• lowering surface albedo

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Which of the following points on the graph best illustrates the location where pollutants are most likely to accumulate as a result of a thermal inversion?

• Point A

• Point B

• Point C

• Point D

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Scientists have been collecting atmospheric CO2 data for many years to monitor changes over time. Which of the following best describes why an island location, such as the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, is an ideal location to measure global CO2 concentrations?

• The island is also a dormant volcano, so there will be only anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 measured at the site.

• The location is below the inversion layer, making it less prone to local effects from industry and transportation.

• The location is far from any continent, providing atmospheric air samples that are less likely to be affected by industry and transportation.

• The impact of primary producers in the surrounding Pacific Ocean is negligible, reducing the effect of photosynthesis and respiration on CO2 levels.

Which of the following is the most likely reason for the trend shown in the graph of fluctuating indoor radon levels over the course of a year?

• Some windows are often closed during summer months, causing the levels of radon in the house to build up.

• Barometric pressure changes from summer storms can cause radon levels to increase.

• Radon levels tend to increase in the colder months because of the difference in temperature inside and outside the home, which creates a vacuum pulling radon into the home at a higher rate.

• Increased levels of radon are linked to burning biomass indoors, which increases in winter months when more biomass is burned for cooking and heating.

Which of the following is most responsible for the change in the emissions of volatile organic compounds ( VOC) from 1970 to 2020 as shown in the graph?

• A decrease in the number of vehicles fitted with catalytic converters and an increase in the number of hybrid vehicles beginning in 1970.

• A decrease in the average driving distance in the United States from 1970 to 2020 that resulted from increased urbanization.

• An increase in air emission standards that began in 1970 that regulated corporate average fuel economy ( CAFE) standards.

• An increase in VOC emissions from car exhausts that resulted from increased driving distances from 1970 to 2020.

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