AP Environmental Science Unit 6 Practice Test: Energy Resources

Our APES Unit 6 practice test covers energy resources and how we use them. In this unit, students learn about the advantages and drawbacks of the various sources of energy used today. Students will be able to explain why no one energy source is best for our needs.

Please wait while the activity loads.
If this activity does not load, try refreshing your browser. Also, this page requires javascript. Please visit using a browser with javascript enabled.

If loading fails, click here to try again

Congratulations - you have completed .

You scored %%SCORE%% out of %%TOTAL%%.

Your performance has been rated as %%RATING%%

Your answers are highlighted below.

Question 1

A stair-like structure that allows migrating fish to navigate through a dam is known as a(n)

A	Fish Ladder
B	Aqueduct
C	Dike
D	Levee

Question 1 Explanation:

The correct answer is (A). Fish use a “fish ladder” or a “ladder” to make their way around a dam during migration. This structure functions like a set of stairs enabling fish to jump from landing to landing. The other answer choices refer to ways of transporting, damming, or storing water, not specifically to a method of assisting fish during migration.

Question 2

The largest renewable source of electricity generation in the United States is

A	Wind
B	Solar
C	Geothermal
D	Hydroelectric

Question 2 Explanation:

The correct answer is (D). As of 2016, 15% of electricity generated in the US was from renewable sources. Hydroelectric accounted for 44% of renewable electricity generation. The most common type of hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to store water in a reservoir. Water is released from the reservoir and flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. Here is the contribution of all sources:

Hydro 44%
Wind 37%
Biomass 10%
Solar 6%
Geothermal 3%

Question 3

Which of the following pairs is the predominant source of fuel for electricity generation in the United States?

A	Natural Gas and Oil
B	Oil and Coal
C	Nuclear fuels and Solar Power
D	Coal and Natural Gas

Question 3 Explanation:

The correct answer is (D). The predominant sources of fuel for electricity generation in the United States are natural gas and coal. As of 2016, coal and natural gas combined to account for about 64% of the electricity produced in the United States. Nuclear accounts for approximately 20%.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT one of the advantages of natural gas as an energy source?

A	Burning it releases no pollutants.
B	It is efficient for cooking and home heating.
C	It is abundant.
D	It can be stored and transported.

Question 4 Explanation:

The correct answer is (A). The burning of natural gas does release pollutants. The advantage is that it burns cleaner than other fossil fuels, producing half the carbon dioxide as coal and about a third less than oil. It also emits fewer amounts of toxic chemicals like nitrous oxides and sulfur dioxide.

Question 5

Currently, most high-level radioactive waste from nuclear reactors in the United States is

A	stored in deep ocean trenches.
B	reprocessed into new fuel pellets.
C	chemically modified into safe materials.
D	stored at the power plant that produced it.

Question 5 Explanation:

The correct answer is (D). Used nuclear fuel is stored at the nation's nuclear power plants in steel-lined, concrete pools filled with water or in massive, airtight steel or concrete-and-steel canisters. In the mid-1980s, plans were made to store the majority of the spent nuclear fuel at a central repository underneath Yucca Mountain in Nevada. But the project languished primarily due to opposition from Nevada residents who don’t want to import this dangerous material. Critics of the plan also worry that natural forces such as erosion and earthquakes could make the storage facility unstable. These nuclear isotopes can remain hazardous to humans for hundreds of thousands of years.

Question 6

Which of the following is true of passive solar designs?

A	These designs use mechanical and electrical devices for heating and cooling.
B	These designs have windows, walls, and floors that are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter, and reject solar heat in the summer.
C	These designs have solar hot water systems which use pumps or fans to circulate fluid.
D	These designs use low-impact building materials and permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete to enhance the replenishment of ground water.

Question 6 Explanation:

The correct answer is (B). Passive solar design uses sunlight without active mechanical systems. This is in contrast to active solar design which uses external sources of energy to power blowers, pumps and other types of equipment to collect, store and convert solar energy.

Question 7

Which of the following nonrenewable energy sources accounts for 68% of the CO2 that is emitted by the U.S. electric power sector?

A	Coal
B	Oil
C	Natural gas
D	Nuclear power

Question 7 Explanation:

The correct answer is (A). Coal is used for about 30% of electric generation in the United States, making it the second most commonly used fuel. However, it accounts for 68% of carbon dioxide emissions. Natural gas is used to produce about 32% of US electricity but only accounts for 30% of CO2 emissions.

Question 8

Which type of coal has the lowest energy content?

A	Bituminous
B	Lignite
C	Anthracite
D	All of these have equal energy content

Question 8 Explanation:

The correct answer is (B). Coals are ranked from low to high in this order: Lignite, sub-bituminous, bituminous, and anthracite. Lower-ranked coals are softer, lighter, contain less carbon, and have less energy content than higher-ranked coals.

Coal starts as peat. After a long amount of time, heat, and burial pressure, it is metamorphosed from peat to lignite. Lignite is called "immature" coal at this stage of development because it is rather light in color and remains soft. As time passes, lignite increases in maturity by becoming darker and harder and is then classified as sub-bituminous coal. With more time, pressure, and heat, more chemical and physical changes occur and the coal is classified as bituminous. At this point, the coal is dark and hard. Anthracite is the last of the classifications when the coal has matured completely. Anthracite coal is very hard and shiny.

Question 9

Which of the following nonrenewable energy sources is easily transported through establishing pipelines, produces a high net-energy yield, is subsidized by the U.S. government, and can be used to produce many other products such as paints, medicines and plastics?

A	Coal
B	Oil
C	Natural gas
D	Nuclear power

Question 9 Explanation:

The correct answer is (B). Oil is also referred to as petroleum and crude oil in the United States. It is produced by the decomposition of organic material under high temperature and pressure for millions of years.

Question 10

Which of the following nonrenewable energy sources produces less SO2 and NOx than other fossil fuels when burned, leading to less of an impact on acid rain and photochemical smog?

A	Coal
B	Oil
C	Natural gas
D	Hydroelectric

Question 10 Explanation:

The correct answer is (C). Natural gas is lighter than oil, and found above oil in petroleum deposits. Its two largest uses in the United States are electricity generation and industrial processes. Natural gas is considered a “clear fuel” because it contains fewer impurities and emits almost zero sulfur dioxide or particulates during consumption.

Question 11

In which part of a nuclear power plant is the fuel located?

A	Core
B	Cooling tower
C	Turbine
D	Electrical generator

Question 11 Explanation:

The correct answer is (A). The core of a nuclear reactor contains up to 50,000 fuel rods.

Question 12

Which of the following is an advantage of nuclear power?

A	There is enough uranium left for the next 100,000 years
B	Nuclear wastes are easily recyclable
C	Uranium is a renewable resource
D	Nuclear power generation produces very little water pollution

Question 12 Explanation:

The correct answer is (D). Nuclear power indeed produces very little water pollution. Estimates show that economically accessible uranium supplies could power nuclear reactors for about 200 years at current rates of consumption Nuclear power releases a small amount of CO2 (only 1/6 of the amount produced by fossil fuels). Nuclear wastes are not recyclable; they are very difficult to dispose of. Finally, uranium is not a renewable resource.

Question 13

Which of the following is an example of an active solar heating system?

A	Putting reflective coatings on roofs and exterior walls
B	Increasing insulation
C	Using photovoltaic solar cells to absorb solar energy
D	Installing skylights to allow sunlight into the building

Question 13 Explanation:

The correct answer is (C). Active solar heating systems involve the use of solar collectors, such as photovoltaic solar cells, to absorb solar energy. The other methods listed are passive, in that they do not include any mechanical heating devices. Passive solar heating involves incorporating building designs that absorb heat and then slowly release it to maintain a consistent temperature in the building.

Question 14

Which of the following is the fastest growing source of electricity in the world?

A	Hydrogen fuel cells
B	Wind energy
C	Geothermal energy
D	Hydroelectricity

Question 14 Explanation:

The correct answer is (B). Wind energy is the fastest-growing source of electricity in the world. It has risen from about 6.1 gigawatts in 1996 to nearly 540 gigawatts at the end of 2017.

Question 15

A family in Chicago wants to install solar panels on the roof of their house to help lower the electric bill. Which direction should the solar panels face for the best possible results?

A	North
B	East
C	South
D	West

Question 15 Explanation:

The correct answer is (C). Because Chicago is in the northern hemisphere the sun spends most of the time in the southern region of the sky. Having solar panels facing south would maximize the intensity of the sun's rays on the PV cells.

Question 16

In less developed countries, which fuel source is most commonly used for heating and cooking?

A	Coal
B	Oil
C	Natural Gas
D	Biomass

Question 16 Explanation:

The correct answer is (D). Less developed countries rely on wood and dried animal waste for heating and cooking. Many developing countries do not have power grids and power plants. Families must burn material in their homes for heat and to cook food.

Question 17

Cars produce roughly 20 pounds of CO₂per gallon of gasoline burned.

If one person drives 30,000 miles in a car that averages 30 miles per gallon, while another drives 30,000 miles in a car that averages 20 miles per gallon, how many fewer pounds of CO₂were produced by the first car?

A	1000
B	10,000
C	60,000
D	600,000

Question 17 Explanation:

The correct answer is (B). The first car would consume 1000 gallons of gas and the second car would consume 1500 gallons of gas. 20 X 1000 = 20,000 pounds of CO2 and 20 X 1500 = 30,000 pounds of CO2. 30,000 – 20,000 = 10,000 pounds of CO2.

Question 18

Which of the following is a negative environmental consequence of using photovoltaic solar cells?

A	Photovoltaic cells produce high amounts of NOx pollution while generating electricity.
B	Photovoltaic cells are responsible for stratospheric ozone depletion.
C	Photovoltaic cells are made using toxic metals that may get into the environment.
D	Photovoltaic cells contribute to the formation of tropospheric ozone and photochemical smog.

Question 18 Explanation:

The correct answer is (C). Cadmium, Lead, and Aluminum are all used in the manufacture of PV cells. Once the PV cells need replacing it can be difficult to contain these metals without them entering the environment.

Question 19

A home uses five 100-watt lightbulbs for six hours per day. How many kilowatt-hours of energy are used per year by using those lightbulbs?

A	1095
B	10,950
C	3,650
D	36,500

Question 19 Explanation:

The correct answer is (A). five bulbs X 100 watts X six hours X 365 days / divided by 1000 watts per Kilo-watt.

Question 20

The extraction of natural gas is likely to have which negative impact on the environment?

A	Ozone Depletion
B	Photochemical Smog formation
C	Eutrophication
D	Groundwater contamination

Question 20 Explanation:

The correct answer is (D). Extracting natural gas requires large amounts of water to be pumped into the ground under high pressure. The water is mixed with chemicals to help separate the natural gas found in sedimentary rock for easier extraction. Those chemicals can then leach into the surrounding groundwater.

Once you are finished, click the button below. Any items you have not completed will be marked incorrect. Get Results

There are 20 questions to complete.

←

List

→

Return

Shaded items are complete.

1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20
End