Energy Sources
Practice Test
1.
The greatest percentage of energy used in the United States is utilized for __________.
a.
heating homes and operating appliances
b.
manufacturing products and producing food
c.
providing electricity to businesses and office buildings
d.
transportation
Hint
2.
A(n) __________ is a resource that cannot be replaced by natural processes as quickly as it is used.
a.
renewable resource
b.
energy source
c.
nonrenewable resource
d.
inefficient fuel source
Hint
3.
In a nuclear power plant, what process releases energy that can be converted to electricity?
a.
particle acceleration
b.
nuclear fusion
c.
nuclear fission
d.
nuclear combustion
Hint
4.
Which of the following is a fossil fuel?
a.
wood
b.
water
c.
coal
d.
nuclear pellets
Hint
5.
Most of the energy used in the United States comes from __________.
a.
hydroelectricity
b.
burning organic materials
c.
burning petroleum, gas, and coal
d.
nuclear power plants
Hint
6.
When fossil fuels are burned, carbon and hydrogen atoms in the fossil fuels combine with oxygen in the air to form __________.
a.
hydrocarbons
b.
sulfur dioxide and water
c.
carbon dioxide and water
d.
hydrochloric acid
Hint
7.
__________ is the joining together of small nuclei at high temperatures.
a.
Hydrogen production
b.
Nuclear fission
c.
Thermonuclear fusion
d.
Chain reaction
Hint
8.
Which of the following contains the most energy per kilogram?
a.
petroleum
b.
asphalt
c.
coal
d.
natural gas
Hint
9.
Electricity produced from the energy of moving water is called __________.
a.
aquatic power
b.
hydroelectricity
c.
geothermal energy
d.
nuclear power
Hint
10.
Which of the following occurs first during the conversion of fossil fuels to electricity in an electrical power station?
a.
A spinning turbine shaft rotates magnets and generates electric current.
b.
Fuel is burned in a combustion chamber.
c.
Steam causes the blades of a turbine to spin.
d.
Thermal energy heats water and produces steam.
Hint
11.
A(n) __________ is a resource that is replaced by natural processes nearly as quickly as it is used.
a.
renewable resource
b.
reserve
c.
nonrenewable resource
d.
energy option
Hint
12.
Heat generated within Earth by the decay of radioactive elements is called __________.
a.
geothermal heat
b.
nuclear power
c.
biomass
d.
hydroelectricity
Hint
13.
How much coal would have to be burned to release the same amount of energy as one kilogram of uranium that undergoes nuclear fission?
a.
300 kg
b.
3 kg
c.
3,000 kg
d.
3,000,000 kg
Hint
14.
__________ is a thick, flammable liquid formed by decayed organisms.
a.
Natural gas
b.
Hydrocarbon
c.
Kerosene
d.
Petroleum
Hint
15.
Which of the following statements about fossil fuels is true?
a.
The smoke produced from burning fossil fuels contains particulates.
b.
The processes used to obtain fossil fuels can be hazardous to workers.
c.
The overall efficiency of using fossil fuels to produce electricity is 65 percent.
d.
Fossil fuels are renewable resources.
Hint
16.
Most of the coal used in the United States is __________.
a.
used to produce coke for the steel industry
b.
produced in California and Florida
c.
burned by power plants to generate electricity.
d.
imported from other countries
Hint
17.
Which of the following is true of nuclear fuel?
a.
It must have nuclei that can undergo fission.
b.
It is usually plutonium oxide.
c.
It must be kept away from the reactor core.
d.
It is easily obtained without risk to the environment.
Hint
18.
How much of the electricity produced in the United States comes from nuclear power plants?
a.
75 percent
b.
20 percent
c.
50 percent
d.
5 percent
Hint
19.
In what part of a nuclear reactor does fission occur?
a.
turbine
b.
core
c.
coolant
d.
generator
Hint
20.
Which of the following is true of solar energy?
a.
The quantity of solar energy available to produce electricity is not affected by location on Earth's surface.
b.
Producing electricity using solar cells is expensive.
c.
A technique for generating electricity using solar energy has not been developed.
d.
The Sun's rays strike the Earth continuously, therefore storing electricity generated by solar cells is not necessary.
Hint
