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WorksheetsUnit 8: Fossil Fuel Use & Impacts
Total questions: 51
Worksheet time: 27mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Which of the following is NOT a unit of energy?
a)
Kilowatt hour
b)
Calorie
c)
Watt
d)
BTU
2.
Which of the following is an example of a low quality energy source?
a)
Warm air
b)
Coal
c)
Electricity
d)
Flowing water
3.
Which fossil fuel provides the majority of energy in the United States?
a)
Coal
b)
Petroleum
c)
Natural Gas
d)
Nuclear Fission
4.
What is the primary use of coal in the United States?
a)
Transportation
b)
Electricity generation
c)
Heating water
d)
Industrial furnaces
5.
In what region of the world is energy demand increasing most dramatically?
a)
China
b)
United States
c)
European Union
d)
South Africa
6.
Which of the following correctly shows the combustion of methane?
a)
C6H12O6 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O
b)
CO2 + H2O --> Glucose + O2
c)
CH4 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O
d)
CH4 + CO2 --> Energy + O2
7.
As electricity is used to generate light in a lamp, much of the energy is converted into heat. This loss of energy is described by...
a)
1st Law of Thermodynamics
b)
2nd Law of Thermodynamics
c)
Entropic Law of Heat Loss
d)
The Law of Energy Maintenance
8.
What is the primary use of petroleum in the United States?
a)
Electricity generation
b)
Heating water
c)
Lubrication
d)
Transportation
9.
Which of the following scenarios illustrates the 1st Law of Thermodynamics?
a)
Potential energy in coal is released as heat to boil water.
b)
A soccer ball resting on a field.
c)
Natural gas is stored in shale.
d)
Filling your gas tank with gasoline.
10.
Which products of combustion will be released from burning any of the fossil fuels?
a)
SO2 and Hg
b)
CO2 and Particulates
c)
CH4 and H2O
d)
CO2 and NOx
11.
Approximately how many barrels of oil does the United States consume each day?
a)
1,000,000
b)
10,000,000
c)
20,000,000
d)
50,000,000
12.
By what process is crude oil refined into different, useful molecules?
a)
Hydraulic fracturing
b)
Secondary extraction
c)
Centrifugal gasification
d)
Fractional distillation
13.
What is the relationship between the size of a hydrocarbon molecule and its boiling point?
a)
Smaller molecules have higher boiling points
b)
Larger molecules have higher boiling points
c)
Larger molecules have smaller boiling points
d)
There is no relationship between molecular size and boiling point
14.
What is most of a barrel of crude oil refined into?
a)
Asphalt
b)
Transportation fuel
c)
Lubricant
d)
Plastic
15.
From which FOREIGN country does the U.S. get a majority of its petroleum imports from?
a)
Saudi Arabia
b)
Mexico
c)
Iraq
d)
Canada
16.
What process has recently allowed the U.S. to access a large domestic source of oil?
a)
Deepwater drilling in the Great Lakes
b)
Fracking of shale oil in North Dakota
c)
Strip mining of tar sands in Alberta
d)
Primary extraction of liquid crude in ANWR
17.
What has been the general trend for U.S. domestic oil production?
a)
Increasing
b)
Decreasing
c)
Constant
d)
Fluctuating wildly
18.
Which of the following countries is NOT a member of OPEC?
a)
Iraq
b)
Nigeria
c)
Columbia
d)
Saudi Arabia
19.
How much oil is supposed to be kept in the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
a)
10 million gallons
b)
90 days worth of imports
c)
3 years worth of total supply
d)
However much I say. I'm the decider. It's good to be the king.
20.
Which of the following is a way the federal government can try to reduce gasoline consumption?
a)
Decreasing CAFE standards.
b)
Increasing the gasoline tax.
c)
Eliminate tariffs on imported fruit.
d)
Reduce federal grants for public transportation programs.
21.
Why is natural gas increasingly being burned to generate electricity in the U.S.?
a)
More SO2 is produced from burning natural gas.
b)
Our government hates coal.
c)
Natural gas does not produce nearly as much SO2, Particulates, or other pollutants.
d)
It is a more expensive, premium fuel source.
22.
When NOx are produced from combustion and reacts with water in the atmosphere...
a)
sulfuric acid is formed.
b)
PCBs contaminate the soil.
c)
nitric acid is formed.
d)
global temperatures increase.
23.
What is the most energy-rich form of coal?
a)
Peat
b)
Lignite
c)
Bituminous
d)
Anthracite
24.
Which fossil fuel currently has the largest global reserves?
a)
Uranium
b)
Natural Gas
c)
Petroleum
d)
Coal
25.
What turns the turbine in a typical fuel-burning (coal, natural gas, etc.) power plant?
a)
Lubricating oil
b)
Steam
c)
Heat from combustion
d)
CO2
26.
Why is coal crushed before entering the power plant?
a)
To liquify the coal.
b)
To decrease the temperature of combustion.
c)
To increase the surface area for combustion.
d)
To increase the fly ash generated.
27.
Which combustion product is removed from power plant exhaust by wet scrubbers?
a)
NOx
b)
SO2
c)
Particulates
d)
Mercury
28.
What is one way power companies can reduce their sulfur emissions?
a)
Use high-sulfur coal.
b)
Reduce the temperature of combustion.
c)
Use bathhouse filters
d)
Wash the coal before combustion.
29.
What is one way power companies can reduce their NOx emissions?
a)
Use low-sulfur coal
b)
Combustion at lower-temperatures.
c)
Install electrostatic precipitators.
d)
Install scrubbers in the smokestacks.
30.
Baghouse filters are often used to remove ______________ from power plant emissions.
a)
Mercury
b)
Particulates
c)
Heat
d)
SO2
31.
Most coal-burning power plants are only about 30% efficient. This means that...
a)
30% of the energy is converted into electricity.
b)
70% of the energy is converted into electricity.
c)
30% of the energy is lost as heat.
d)
only 30% of the coal is burned.
32.
During what season is demand for natural gas the highest in the U.S.?
a)
Winter
b)
Spring
c)
Summer
d)
Fall
33.
During which season is demand for electricity in the U.S. highest?
a)
Winter
b)
Spring
c)
Summer
d)
Fall
34.
During which season is demand for gasoline in the U.S. highest?
a)
Winter
b)
Spring
c)
Summer
d)
Fall
35.
How many watts are in a kilowatt?
a)
1
b)
1,000
c)
1,000,000
d)
1,000,000,000
36.
How many millimeters are in a meter?
a)
1
b)
100
c)
1,000
d)
10,000
37.
How many watts are in a megawatt?
a)
1
b)
1,000
c)
1,000,000
d)
1,000,000,000
38.
How do fuel-burning power plants directly contribute to thermal pollution of water?
a)
Power plants decrease D.O., which increases water temperature.
b)
Cooling water is ejected into a river.
c)
Sulfuric acid falls as acid rain and increases water temperature.
d)
Particulates from coal absorb heat in water.
39.
When steam or gas is pumped into an oil deposit to force oil into a well, this is known as...
a)
Hydraulic fracturing
b)
Primary recovery
c)
Secondary recovery
d)
Positive forcing
40.
Primary recovery is when...
a)
oil naturally flows or is pumped out of wells.
b)
gas is forced into an oil deposit to force the oil out.
c)
water is pumped into the ground to fracture the surrounding rock and allow the oil to escape.
d)
oil molecules are separated based on their boiling points.
41.
The practice of generating sound waves with explosives to determine if oil is present beneath the earth is known as...
a)
seismic surveying
b)
fracking
c)
primary recovery
d)
kerogen upgrading
42.
Since more energy has to be put into recovering and refining shale oil than liquid crude...
a)
shale oil has a higher EROI than liquid crude
b)
liquid crude has a lower EROI than shale oil
c)
shale oil has a lower EROI than liquid crude
d)
shale oil will have a greater energy output than liquid crude
43.
Which of the following reactions illustrates the formation of acid mine drainage?
a)
Sulfur + O2 + H2O --> H2SO4
b)
CH4 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O
c)
SO2 + H2O --> H2SO4
d)
NOx + H2O --> HNO3
44.
From the perspective of a mining company, which of the following is NOT an advantage of surface mining over underground mining?
a)
Lower company-paid healthcare costs for miners
b)
More miners are needed, therefore more coal can be extracted
c)
A greater percentage of a coal seam can be extracted
d)
Lower overall costs of coal production
45.
Which of the following is NOT an environmental problem associated with fracking for natural gas?
a)
Groundwater contamination by fracking fluids
b)
Earthquakes stimulated by the fracking process
c)
Mercury emissions from natural gas leaks
d)
Habitat fragmentation from the set-up of the drilling operation
46.
Mine waste is often referred to as...
a)
Runoff
b)
Tailings
c)
Rubble
d)
Footstones
47.
How can acid mine drainage lead to increased heavy metal (Hg, Cd, etc.) concentration in water?
a)
Decreased pH of water mobilizes metals from sediment.
b)
Acidic water stimulates the transformation of halogens into heavy metals.
c)
Increased nitrates cause the release of metals from biomass.
d)
Increased particulate pollution can stimulate metal sedimentation.
48.
What is one negative human health effect of living near mine tailings piles?
a)
Decreased photosynthesis from increased water turbidity.
b)
Breathing airborne particulates can increase blood lead levels and decrease cognitive abilities.
c)
Increased selenium can lead to bone abnormalities in fish.
d)
Increased acidity of public drinking water supplies.
49.
Minerals containing __________ can often lead to the production of acid mine drainage when they react with water and oxygen.
a)
Mercury
b)
Lead
c)
Phosphorus
d)
Sulfur
50.
How can wetland plants be used to mitigate one of the impacts of acid mine drainage?
a)
Their leaves help to remove excess oxygen from the water.
b)
Symbiotic bacteria on their roots remove potassium from the water.
c)
They neutralize the pH.
d)
They assimilate metals that have been released into the water.
51.
How does the addition of crushed limestone to riverbeds help to mitigate the effects of acid mine drainage?
a)
Neutralizes pH
b)
Removes excess metals from water.
c)
Oxygenates the water.
d)
Does not allow selenium to bioaccumulate.
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