AP Environmental Science : Energy Production and Usage

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Environmental Science

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Energy Usage

Why might driving an electric car prove equally damaging to the environment as driving a car that runs on gasoline. 

Possible Answers:

Electric cars are actually not completely electric. They still contain an internal combustion engine and switch to running on gasoline after the electric battery has died or the car reaches a certain speed. 

If the electricity comes from a polluting source (e.g. coal), then the electric car still contributes to pollution and greenhouse gas emmissions indirectly. 

Electric cars still contribute to traffic congestion and idling vehicles are a large contributor to greenhouse gas emmissions. 

Electric cars are often built in third world countries, where factories and firms are not subject to environmental protection or accountability laws. 

The lithium batteries in electric cars contain toxic chemicals that are difficult to store. 

Correct answer:

If the electricity comes from a polluting source (e.g. coal), then the electric car still contributes to pollution and greenhouse gas emmissions indirectly. 

Explanation:

Electric cars with a gas engine are classified as Hybrids, not All-Electric Vehicles. The other answers address the environmental impact of manufacturing and parts, and while these impacts are substantial, their ongoing impact is miniscule when compared to the footprint from regular driving. The majority electricity in America is generated by the burning of fossil fuels, which means driving an electric car regularly still has a carbon footprint and a significant one at that. 

Example Question #2 : Small Scale Energy Usage

Which of the following scenarios most accurately depicts the tragedy of the commons?

Possible Answers:

Allocation of all nuclear wastes to one site in Nevada.

Using national forests for wood production and harvesting.

Agreements among ranchers to jointly manage common grazing land.

Depletion of fishing stocks in the North Atlantic.

Collective farming of wine grapes in communities in California.

Correct answer:

Depletion of fishing stocks in the North Atlantic.

Explanation:

The tragedy of commons is a term used today to describe a situation wherein individuals acting independently and rationally according to their own self-interest behave contrary to the best interests of the greater population by depleting a common resource. In opposition, the examples of ranchers managing common ground and collective farming of grapes are examples of individuals working together in a common interest. Additionally, allocating nuclear waste to one area is rather an example of sacrificing a small area for the greater population, and using national forests for wood production and harvesting is simply disobeying the everyone's interests by depleting resources and breaking the law. However, the depletion of fishing stocks is a perfect example of the tragedy of the commons: It is the ravaging of a greater population's shared natural resource in favor of individual and commercial interest. 

Example Question #11 : Energy Production And Usage

At the current rate of consumption, available natural gas reserves are expected to last another:

Possible Answers:

50 years

100 years

600 years

25 years

75 years

Correct answer:

75 years

Explanation:

Currently available natural gas reserves are expected to last another 75 years at the current rate of consumption.

Example Question #12 : Energy Production And Usage

Which type of coal is the cleanest and most efficient?

Possible Answers:

Sub-bituminous coal

Lignite

Anthracite

Bituminous coal

Charcoal

Correct answer:

Anthracite

Explanation:

The least efficient and most abundant form of coal is lignite; after this comes bituminous coal, then, lastly, anthracite. Anthracite is a very hard form of coal with an extremely high carbon content. Anthracite also burns the cleanest of any coal, but unfortunately it is the least abundant and hardest to reach form of coal. Charcoal is not coal at all, but rather compressed and burned wood, consisting mainly of carbon and any remaining ash.

Example Question #2 : Fossil Fuels

Which of the following is NOT a true advantage of utilizing coal as an energy source?

Possible Answers:

Clean coal technology is a promising technology that reduces the environmental impact of modern coal plants.

Coal is very energy-dense and has a high energy yield.

Coal can be extracted and processed domestically, potentially reducing U.S. dependency on foreign oil.

Coal is abundant and confirmed reserves are predicted to last three hundred years.

Coal produces relatively low sulphur emissions when burned.

Correct answer:

Coal produces relatively low sulphur emissions when burned.

Explanation:

Clean coal technology is a promising solution to minimizing pollution from coal plants, and coal is one of the most abundant fossil fuels on the planet, with reserves potentially lasting up to three hundred years. Coal is also very energy-dense when compared to biomass or other renewable energy sources; however, the sulphur content of coal varies based on geographic location, and in areas that depend on locally sourced, sulphur-rich coal, the resulting emissions contribute heavily to acidic precipitation.

Example Question #4 : Coal, Oil, And Natural Gas

Which of the following pairs of factors have placed the United States in a position of dependency on foreign oil?

Possible Answers:

Superior fuel quality from Middle Eastern-sourced petroleum and low import tariffs.

Trade agreements made with OPEC and a per capita demand that far outpaces much of the world.

Most U.S. oil reserves have been exhausted and most oil-rich Middle-Eastern nations are politically very stable and offer reliable trade agreements.

The environmental and labor regulations for oil refining in the U.S. are more costly to firms than the duties and tariffs from importing oil from less regulated countries.

Disproportionately high demand for fossil fuels and a low capacity to produce domestic petrol.

Correct answer:

Disproportionately high demand for fossil fuels and a low capacity to produce domestic petrol.

Explanation:

The United States is 5% of the world Population and consumes 25% of global fossil fuel production. In addition, North America peaked in oil production in the 1970's which, when combined with a disproportionately high demand, results in a national dependence on foreign-sourced oil.

Example Question #13 : Energy Production And Usage

Hydraulic fracturing, also called "fracking," is __________.

Possible Answers:

the splitting apart of water molecules

a way to extract oil from underground sources

a tool used by humanitarian groups to disperse water

a result of earthquakes

a method of deforestation used primarily in Northern Europe

Correct answer:

a way to extract oil from underground sources

Explanation:

Fracking is the process of blasting rocks with a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals in order to extract oil from a well. It has grown in popularity in recent years, particularly in the U.S. and Canada.

Example Question #14 : Energy Production And Usage

All of the following are true of fossil fuels EXCEPT for which answer choice?

Possible Answers:

Fossil fuels are relatively cheap to extract.

Extracting fossil fuels creates jobs and boosts the economy.

At this point in history, fossil fuels are relatively plentiful.

It takes a very long time for fossil fuels to form.

Fossil fuels are cleaner sources of energy than geothermal energy.

Correct answer:

Fossil fuels are cleaner sources of energy than geothermal energy.

Explanation:

Fossil fuels are notoriously dirty sources of energy, and their pollution is often expensive and/or difficult to control.

Example Question #15 : Energy Production And Usage

The most common nuclear fuel used to produce a fission chain reaction in a nuclear weapon is:

Possible Answers:

Uranium-235

Plutonium-238

Uranium-236

Uranium-238

Plutonium-240

Correct answer:

Uranium-235

Explanation:

U-235 differs from U-238 in that U-235 is able to produce a fission chain reaction. U-238 is the most common isotope of uranium, with the U-235 isotope constituting less than 1% of natural sources. Uranium enrichment is the process by which U-235 is separated out, and it is this product that is most commonly used to manufacture nuclear weapons. Pu-239 is produced from U-238 and can be used for nuclear weapons as well, but Pu-239 is not an answer choice.

Example Question #16 : Energy Production And Usage

Which of the following is a pressing issue with the production of nuclear energy?

Possible Answers:

Where to store spent fuel waste

Destruction as a result from frequent nuclear blasts

Various cancers afflicting local wildlife

Heavy air pollution

Prices for energy are too low for it to be profitable

Correct answer:

Where to store spent fuel waste

Explanation:

Producing nuclear energy is a lot cleaner than most people realize, and while it is expensive (but still profitable), it represents a legitimate option for producing cleaner energy. The main drawback is that the resulting "spent fuel" has to be secured and stored, because it cannot be safely disposed of without significant repercussions.

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