FinES14e TB Ch13-Final BLOOMS

CHAPTER 13—ENERGY
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that wind farms at favorable sites in North Dakota, South
Dakota, Kansas and Texas
a. could meet the electricity needs of the western half of the United States, minus Alaska and
Hawaii
b. could meet the electricity needs of these four states, thereby reducing draw of electrical
power from hydroelectric dams
c. could meet the electrical needs of the northern plains states during the summers, but not
the winters
d. could more than meet the electricity needs of the lower 48 states
e. could meet the electricity needs of the 48 states during the summers if air conditioning use
in private homes was reduced
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: KNOWLEDGE
2. Which of the following statements best describes a projected side benefit to human health from
increased use of wind power?
a. Predatory birds usually leave an area where wind farms are established
b. The reduction in use of coal to generate electricity will lower the amount of air pollutants
from coal that kill up to 24,000 Americans per year and add climate-changing chemicals to
the air
c. Building of the turbine systems will help put Americans back to work.
d. Less use of hydroelectric dams will allow us to consider more dam removals.
e. More than one of the above answers is correct.
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: COMPREHENSION
3. Which of the following methods of producing electricity have the lowest net energy ratios?
a. nuclear power and photovoltaics
b. nuclear and wind power
c. wind power and coal
d. coal and hydroelectric
e. nuclear and coal
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

TOP: 13-1 WHAT IS NET ENERGY AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
4. The statement that it takes high quality energy to get high quality energy refers to
a. energy resources with low or negative net energy
b. hydroelectric power
c. the economic side of energy production
d. the processes and fuel required to extract and refine some energy sources
e. coal and hydroelectric power
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ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult
5. Which of the following statements about net energy is false?
a. Some forms of energy have a higher net energy ratio than others.
b. The useable amount of high-quality, useful energy available from a given quantity of
energy resource is called its net energy yield.
c. All forms of energy supply the same amount of net energy yield.
d. Both the first and second laws of thermodynamics govern the use of fossil fuels and other
energy resources.
e. Only the first law of thermodynamics governs the use of fossil fuels and other energy
resources.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

6. The energy source with the highest net energy ratio for space heating is
a. Oil
b. active solar
c. passive solar
d. electric resistance heating
e. Wind
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

7. Net energy is
a. the usable amount of low-quality energy from a given quantity of energy resource
b. the total useful energy available from an energy resource
c. analogous to total income
d. the total useful energy from an energy resource minus the amount of energy used and
wasted in producing it
e. the amount of energy used and wasted to produce useful energy
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

8. The energy source with the highest net energy ratio for transportation is
a. gasoline
b. coal liquefaction
c. natural gas
d. oil shale
e. ethanol from sugar cane residue

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9. World oil supplies and prices are expected to be controlled long-term by

a. OPEC
b. the United States
c. Mexico
d. Russia
e. Saudi Arabia
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

TOP: 13-2 WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF USING FOSSIL
FUELS?
10. At present consumption rates, projected world crude oil reserves will be 80% depleted
a. some time between 2011 and 2061
b. at the beginning of the next millennium
c. between 2050 and 2100
d. by 2050, unless the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is opened to oil drilling
e. by 2025, unless the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is opened to oil drilling

FUELS?
11. Tar sands

a. are principal sources of conventional crude oil
b. contain large supplies of heavy oils
c. constitute a small but cheap supply of crude oil
d. are usable only for aviation fuel
e. are predominantly located in Canada
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

FUELS?
12. Tar sand processing requires large amounts of ________and also requires preliminary forest
_______________.
a. water, thinning
b. electricity, clear cutting
c. fossil fuels, thinning
d. fossil fuels, controlled burning
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e. water, clear cutting
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

FUELS?
13. Bitumen is
a. a type of coal
b. a deep shale-oil deposit
c. high-sulfur heavy oil
d. an octane-raising gasoline additive
e. a type of natural gas

FUELS?
14. Which of the following countries has the greatest tar sand deposits?
a. Saudi Arabia
b. Canada
c. Venezuela
d. Kuwait
e. United States
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

FUELS?
15. Liquefied petroleum gas consists of

a. Methane
b. butane and propane
c. Ammonia
d. nitrogen oxides
e. Ethanol

FUELS?
16. A process for extracting natural gas that is causing a growing environmental problem involves
hydraulic fracturing of rocks and is called
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a. deep well mining
b. strip mining
c. offshore drilling
d. deep water drilling
e. fracking
ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

FUELS?
17. The main problem with use of conventional natural gas as a transportation fuel is
a. the expensive engine modifications required to convert an automobile for use of natural
gas
b. the fact that it has higher CO2 emissions than gasoline produced from conventional oil
c. the very low reserves, which could supply U.S. needs for less than 25 years
d. the fact that not many fueling stations exist at present
e. it can only be obtained by fracking

FUELS?
18. The countries with the largest reserves of natural gas are
a. Canada and the United States
b. Russia, Iran, and Qatar
c. Nigeria and Algeria
d. India, Venezuela, and the United States
e. Russia, Venezuela, and Canada

FUELS?
19. Coal supplies ____ of the electricity generated in the United States.
a. 54%
b. 34%
c. 44%
d. 24%
e. 84%
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

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FUELS?
20. The world's most abundant conventional fossil fuel is

a. crude oil
b. natural gas
c. biomass
d. tar sand
e. coal

FUELS?
21. The world's identified and unidentified coal reserves should last at least ____ years at current usage
rates.
a. 10
b. 50
c. 100
d. 150
e. 200

FUELS?
22. Which form of producing electrical energy produces the highest amount of CO2 per unit of energy,
when expressed as a percentage of emissions released by burning coal directly?
a. natural gas
b. coal-fired electricity
c. Coal
d. oil sand
e. synthetic oil and gas produced from coal
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

FUELS?
23. The majority of commercial energy comes from

a. Hydropower
b. wind
c. biomass
d. renewable energy resources from the earth’s crust
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e. nonrenewable energy resources from the earth’s crust

FUELS?
24. In 2009, the President of the United States

a. requested that the Congress proceed with funding for the Yucca Mountain radioactive
waste storage facility
b. requested the Congress fund another radioactive waste storage facility in New Mexico
c. requested that the current nuclear waste sitting in dry casks around the country
immediately be moved to Yucca Mountain
d. requested that the Congress cut off funding for the Yucca Mountain radioactive waste
storage facility while other shorter-term alternative are evaluated
e. requested that Congress pass a bill enacting the storage of radioactive waste on the site
where it was produced

TOP: 13-3 WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY?
25. Light-water reactors generate about ____ of the world’s nuclear-generated electricity.
a. 95%
b. 85%
c. 75%
d. 65%
e. 55%

26. The useful operating life of today's nuclear power plants is supposed to be ____ years.
a. 10–25
b. 20–50
c. 15–60
d. 35–80
e. 100–150
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

27. The explosions at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in northeast Japan following damage by an
offshore earthquake blew the roofs off of three of the reactor buildings. The explosions were caused
a. presumably by a meltdown of the reactor cores.
b. presumably by steam from the heat exchangers inside the reactor cores
c. presumably by a buildup of hydrogen gas when the backup generators were disabled
d. terrorists taking advantage of the chaos of the situation
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e. spent fuel rods that were exposed when the storage water tanks cracked and stopped
cooling the rods

28. The purpose of generating steam within a nuclear power plant reactor core is, like other energy
producing systems, to
a. generate heat to heat buildings
b. turn a turbine which generates electricity
c. use the radioactivity to drive industrial processes
d. create light that is transferred to factories and local industries
e. Turbines are not part of nuclear reactor cores

29. All of the following statements accurately describe the office-home building of the Rocky Mountain
Institute except:
a. Solar energy provides 90% of the household electricity.
b. The Institute’s heating bill is just less than $50 per year.
c. A central greenhouse in the building humidifies the building and helps to heat it and purify
the air.
d. Except for office equipment power, the building draws a little more electricity than a
single 100-watt light bulb would draw.
e. Solar energy provides about 99% of the hot water used in the building.

TOP: 3-4 WHY IS ENERGY EFFICIENCY AN IMPORTANT ENERGY RESOURCE?
30. The home of the Rocky Mountain Institute demonstrates that

a. homes in sun-intense areas can do without central heating systems
b. solar energy alone can heat a home
c. little natural gas is needed to heat a home compared to coal burning furnaces
d. energy efficient design and renewable energy alternatives can work in cold climates
e. using energy efficient design is very expensive

TOP: 13-4 WHY IS ENERGY EFFICIENCY AN IMPORTANT ENERGY RESOURCES?
31. Below are listed some widely-used devices and the amount of energy they waste. Which pair of
choices is not correct?
a. incandescent light bulb — up to 95%
b. internal combustion engine — 80%
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c. nuclear power plant — 50%
d. coal-fired power plant — 65%
e. combined heat and power system (CHP) 10-15%

32. What percentage of the commercial energy used in the United States is wasted?
a. 14%
b. 24%
c. 44%
d. 64%
e. 84%

33. What percentage of the commercial energy used in the United States is wasted unnecessarily?
a. 13%
b. 23%
c. 33%
d. 43%
e. 53%
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

34. If the hidden health and environmental costs of using gasoline were included in the price of gas as a
tax, the actual cost in the United States would be
a. $4.00 per gallon
b. $4.00 per liter
c. $12.00 per liter
d. $12.00 per gallon
e. less than a liter of water

35. Current models of the gasoline-electric car

a. may get up to 30 miles per gallon on the freeway
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b. get up to 51 miles per gallon
c. cannot be used in wet weather
d. do not have the ability to climb steep hills
e. get up to 35 miles per gallon

36. Superefficient and ultralight cars

a. may eventually get up to 300 mpg
b. are not yet close to reality
c. have been developed in Europe, but not the United States
d. could get up to 50 miles per gallon in the future
e. are fuel efficient, but not safe for human transport

TOP: 13-4 WHY IS ENERGY EFFICIENCY AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE?
37. Widespread replacement of the U.S. vehicle fleet with highly efficient plug-in hybrids over a couple of
decades would
a. cut U.S. oil consumption by 70% to 90%
b. eliminate the need for oil imports
c. reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 27%
d. reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 27% and eliminate the need for oil imports
e. cut U.S. oil consumption by up to 90%, eliminate the need for oil imports and reduce
carbon dioxide emissions by 27%

TOP: 13-4 WHY IS ENERGY EFFICIENCY AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE?
38. The National Building Competition which started in 2010 is an opportunity for
a. students to design energy efficient buildings
b. architects to compete in designing the most energy efficient buildings
c. power companies to come up with better systems to heat homes
d. solar energy companies to demonstrate their newest technologies
e. commercial buildings, including those of major corporations, to compete in cutting energy
use over a 12 month period

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39. The energy efficiency of buildings can be improved by all of the following strategies except
a. building big windows into the northern side of new housing
b. replacing standard windows with energy efficient windows
c. plugging leaks
d. using energy-efficient lighting
e. using energy-efficient appliances
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

40. We continue to waste energy rather than convert to more energy efficient behaviors because:
a. There is a lack of substantial tax breaks for doing so.
b. There is a glut of artificially low-cost fossil fuels.
c. There is no clear and substantial benefit to the environment from avoiding waste.
d. Most people do not care about the adverse environmental effects of wasting energy.
e. There is a lack of substantial tax breaks for doing so and there is a glut of artificially low
costing fossil fuels are correct.

41. The energy in the sunlight striking the earth for just 1 hour is enough to run the world’s economy for
a. one hour
b. one day
c. one week
d. one month
e. one year

TOP: 13-5 WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF USING RENEWABLE
ENERGY RESOURCES?
42. It is risky for companies to invest in renewable energy because:

a. Pricing for renewable energy resources are artificially low.
b. None of the known renewable energy resources are reliable.
c. It is expected that renewable energy will fall out of favor with the American public in the
next decade.
d. Subsidies and tax breaks have to be renewed by the government every few years.
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e. More than one of these choices is correct.

ENERGY RESOURCES?
43. Advantages of solar heating include all of the following except:

a. Cost is moderate
b. Access to the sun can be blocked by other structures.
c. Disturbance to land is very minimal or low
d. Carbon dioxide emissions are very low
e. Net energy is moderate to high

ENERGY RESOURCES?
44. All of the following can be used for cooling a house in warm weather except
a. foil sheets under the floor
b. breezes from open windows
c. window overhangs or awnings
d. superinsulation and high-efficiency windows
e. a light colored reflective roof

ENERGY RESOURCES?
45. Which of the following is not an advantage of solar cells?

a. durable for 20 to 25 years
b. moderate net energy yield
c. easy expansion as needed
d. little or no carbon dioxide emissions
e. works the same in all areas of the planet

ENERGY RESOURCES?
46. Cells that convert solar energy directly into electricity are called
a. electrosolar chips
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b. photovoltaic cells
c. helioelectric units
d. photoelectric cells
e. solarelectric cells

ENERGY RESOURCES?
47. Which of the following statements about PV cells is false?

a. Not only Google, but more than 75 schools and colleges in California have parking lots
covered with canopies of PV cells
b. Solar cells have no moving parts and are safe and quiet
c. The U.S. government is the current global leader in photovoltaic production.
d. Generating electricity with such solar cells could be nearly as efficient as using
coal-burning power plants
e. Over the next one to two decades production of such cells is expected to increase sharply

ENERGY RESOURCES?
48. The leading renewable energy source that is used to produce electricity today is
a. solar energy
b. Hydropower
c. wind power
d. Biomass
e. Geothermal

ENERGY RESOURCES?
49. Which of the following is a disadvantage of hydropower?

a. It creates high levels of carbon dioxide emissions.
b. There is a high environmental impact from flooding land to form a reservoir.
c. The cost of electricity produced from hydropower is lower than electricity produced from
other sources.
d. It has a moderate to high net energy.
e. It is largely unavailable in the United States
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

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ENERGY RESOURCES?
50. In order, the largest wind power producers are:

a. China, India, Spain, United States, Germany
b. Germany, China, United States, Spain, India
c. United States, India, Spain, Germany, China
d. China, United States, Spain, Germany, India
e. Denmark, United States, China, Germany, India
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

ENERGY RESOURCES?
51. Which number and cause of bird death are incorrectly matched (for the U.S.)?
a. cars/trucks — 80 million
b. pesticide poisoning - 500,000
c. wind turbines — 7,000 up to 440,000
d. domestic and feral cats — 250 million
e. glass windows, buildings, and electrical transmission towers — 10 million

ENERGY RESOURCES?
52. Which three states in the USA have the potential to provide enough usable wind power to supply the
entire country’s electricity needs?
a. Maine, Washington State and California
b. North Dakota, Kansas, and Texas
c. Maine, Washington State Nevada
d. Coastal Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana
e. North Carolina, Texas and Oregon

ENERGY RESOURCES?
53. All of the following statements about solid biomass are correct except
a. plantations can help restore degraded areas
b. costs are moderate
c. they are widely available in some areas
d. they are possible to produce with no net carbon dioxide increase
e. it can lead to deforestation
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ENERGY RESOURCES?
54. Which of the following statements about geothermal power is false?

a. It provides a moderate net energy gain.
b. It can be highly efficient at accessible sites.
c. It releases more carbon dioxide than fossil fuels.
d. It has a low cost at accessible sites.
e. There is a scarcity of suitable sites.

ENERGY RESOURCES?
55. The use of hydrogen gas would eliminate most of the air pollution problems we have today because:
a. When it burns it combines with carbon dioxide and removes it from the air.
b. When it burns it combines with water to produce heavy rainwater.
c. When it burns it combines with oxygen gas in the air to produce water vapor.
d. When it burns it combines with carbon to produce methane gas.
e. More than one of the answers is correct.

ENERGY RESOURCES?
56. The lesson we can learn from disasters such as the disruption of oil production by Hurricane Katrina
and loss of nuclear power from the tsunamis in Japan is that
a. we need to build better structures to protect ourselves against terrorists
b. we need to have more than one type of energy producing plants available in case natural
disasters affect the main plant
c. each household has to have its own generator for emergency situations
d. a shift to a more decentralized energy system would improve national and economic
security
e. we cannot protect ourselves from power outages and must accept this reality

TOP: 13-6 HOW CAN WE MAKE A TRANSITION TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
FUTURE?
57. A soft energy path is one that
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a. relies on improving energy efficiency and increasing the use of a variety of renewable
energy resources
b. relies completely on the use of biofuels
c. relies on the use of liquid fossil fuels
d. relies on the use of soft money for research and development
e. relies on soft coal

TOP: 13-6 HOW CAN WE MAKE A TRANSITION TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
FUTURE?
TRUE/FALSE
1. There are three major forms of fossil fuels: coal, oil, and natural gas.
ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

2. The estimated oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge would meet current world oil
demand for at least another 50 years.
ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

3. The world's dependence on fossil fuels has been increased through subsidies and tax breaks that
support fossil fuel processors (oil companies).
ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

4. It has been estimated that using nuclear power will require more energy than it will ever produce.

5. Nuclear power is now the world's fastest-growing energy source.
ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

6. The United States wastes almost none of its energy.

7. Photovoltaic cells do not produce any of the greenhouse or acid gas emissions associated with
electricity generated by the combustion of fossil fuels.
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ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate
8. A spent fuel rod that has been removed from a nuclear power plant reactor core is essentially safe from
radioactivity after a period of about 10 years.

9. None of the three worst nuclear power plant accidents occurred in the United States.

10. The most efficient and long-lasting light bulb available today is the LED (light-emitting diode).

11. Microwave ovens use about the same amount of energy as conventional ovens.

12. China plans to lead the world in relying on renewable energy resources.

13. Reducing energy waste is a commendable activity, but would not impact our energy supplies in any
meaningful way.

14. Sunlight reflected onto a “power tower” is a great idea for collecting solar energy, but there is no way
to store the collected energy.

15. It has been estimated that capturing the wind’s energy at the world’s best sites would only produce
about 50% of the electricity currently being used worldwide.

16. One of the disadvantages of liquid biofuels is that the area where the crops are grown has to compete
with areas where food crops can be grown.
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17. Brazil, the second largest ethanol producer, makes its ethanol from the residue of sugar cane.

18. Geothermal fuels have lower carbon dioxide emissions than fossil fuels.

COMPLETION
1. The quickest, cleanest, and cheapest way to provide more energy is to ____________________.
ANS: reduce energy waste
PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

2. ____________________ produces fewer pollutants than burning coal, but is significantly more
expensive and produces radioactive wastes.
ANS: Nuclear power

3. Large reserves of ____________________ are located in Canada and are now considered to be
conventional oil reserves, second only in size to those in Saudi Arabia.
ANS: oil sands

4. _______________energy is the only energy that really counts.
ANS: net

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5. Although coal is a very plentiful fuel, when burned it produces very high ____________________
emissions.
ANS: carbon dioxide

6. Wind is actually an indirect form of ____________________ energy.
ANS: solar

7. Producing steel from recycled scrap iron uses _______________% less energy than producing steel
from virgin iron ore.
ANS: 75

8. Using wind to produce electricity is an important step toward ____________________.
ANS: sustainability

9. The estimated proven reserves under Alaska’s North slope would meet current world demand for oil
for about ____________months or U.S. demand for less than ____________years.
ANS: 6, 3
PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

10. ____________________ is the point in time when we reach the maximum overall rate of crude oil
production for the whole world.
ANS: Global peak production

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11. About ____________________% of the world’s proven crude oil reserves are in the hands of
government-owned companies.
ANS: 85

12. About ____________________ % of the electricity used in the United States is produced by burning
coal.
ANS: 44

13. The cleanest burning alternative among the fossil fuels is ______________ __________.
ANS: natural gas

14. The element _______________is said to be a safer radioactive element that could be used in newer
nuclear power plant reactors.
ANS: thorium

15. Ultra-high voltage, digitally controlled _________ ___________ would be more responsive to local
and regional changes in supply and demand of energy.
ANS: smart grids

16. An example of an energy efficient window is a ______________ ______________ window.
ANS: triple paned

17. A proposed program whereby owners of fuel-inefficient vehicles pay higher fees and the revenue from
those fees is given to owners of fuel-efficient vehicles is called the ____________________ program.
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ANS: fee-bate

18. ____________________ loading washers are more efficient than ____________________ loading
washers.
ANS: Front, top

19. Food riots in Mexico were caused by the decrease in corn production in the United States when food
crop land was converted to producing corn for ______________.
ANS: ethanol, biofuels

MATCHING
Match the items listed below with the appropriate choice
1. Steam is generated to produce electricity in which compartment?
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2. Water from the external cooling area penetrates inside the plant to which compartment?
3. Which area of the plant is susceptible to a meltdown?
4. Electricity is generated in which area of the plant?
1. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Labeling

2. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Labeling
3. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy OBJ: Labeling
4. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Labeling
Match the appropriate energy source with the advantage or disadvantage in the list below.
a. wind power
b. nuclear power
c. natural gas
d. hydro-electric
e. passive solar
5. radioactive wastes are an ongoing problem

6. requires access to sunlight for 60% of daylight hours
7. disrupts aquatic ecosystems
8. difficult and costly to transport between countries
9. easy to build and expand
10. low level noise pollution
11. emits less carbon dioxide than other fossil fuels when burned
12. needs a back-up system for cloudy days
13. displacement of people
14. low risk of incidents in newer, modern plants
5. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

6. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
7. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
8. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
9. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
10. ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
11. ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
12. ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
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13. ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
14. ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy
SHORT ANSWER
1. Explain this statement: The highest priority in fighting the war on terror must be to reduce America's
dependence on foreign oil.
ANS:
This is because the majority of oil reserves are in Middle Eastern countries that support or condone
terrorism. In purchasing oil from these countries, we provide them with income. Additionally, in order
to protect our status with these countries, we maintain a military presence in the Middle East that costs
billions of dollars, as well as loss of American lives.
PTS: 2 DIF: Easy OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: ANALYSIS
2. Using information from this chapter about consumption of products of crude oil, and combining it with
information from chapter 10 on food production, explain something you can do in your day-to-day life
that can significantly help reduce energy consumption.
ANS:
Currently, burning oil, mostly as gasoline and diesel fuel for transportation, accounts for 43% of global
CO2 emissions. Putting food on the table consumes about 19% of the fossil fuel energy used in the
United States each year—more than any other sector of the economy except cars. Fossil fuels are used
to transport the food long distances within and between countries.
By purchasing locally grown food, or even growing some of your own food, this will reduce the fossil
fuel use for food transport.
PTS: 4 DIF: Difficult OBJ: Critical Thinking

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: EVALUATION
3. This chapter presents a list of a dozen actions that individuals can take to make the shift to more
sustainable energy use. Using this list as a source or reference, name four actions you are willing to
take and four actions you are unwilling to take. For each action you are willing to take, state why. For
each action you are not willing to take, state why you are not. Also state what would have to change in
order for you to take the steps you are now unwilling to take?
ANS:
Answers will vary. Refer to the list in Figure 13-42 for answers to this question.
PTS: 3 DIF: Moderate OBJ: Critical Thinking
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BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: EVALUATION
4. A survey in August 2011 on the world wide web was conducted by the news agency CNN, and asked
participants to rate the more serious problem with the United States economy, given the choices 1) the
debt crisis or 2) unemployment.
The majority of respondents voted unemployment as the more serious problem. Give at least one
example from this chapter of how using renewable energy can help solve this problem in the United
States.
ANS:
During the six-year period from 2004 to 2010, the number of jobs in the U.S. wind industry increased
from almost none to 85,000. Putting Americans back to work at this rate, over time, can both alleviate
some of the unemployment problems but also put us on a path to healthier lives because of the few
downsides to wind energy.
(Answers can vary. Many students may have examples of their own which, if expressed with correct
college-level writing, should be graded positively.)

BLOOM’S TAXONOMY: APPLICATION
ESSAY
1. Briefly explain why it is so expensive to close down a nuclear power plant.
ANS:
The materials in a nuclear power plant absorb radiation from the fuel, and when a plant is closed down
it cannot simply be abandoned, but must go through a process called decommissioning. The old
building parts and equipment are actually a form of radioactive waste and have to be treated as such.
The plant can either be entombed or surrounded by a physical barrier. These options require security
around the old plant for 30 to 100 years.
Another approach is to dismantle the plant and send all of the materials to a permanent nuclear waste
storage facility (which to date has not been built in any country).

2. List and briefly describe four widely used forms of technology in our society that waste large amounts
of energy.
ANS:
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1. Incandescent light bulbs use only 5% of the electricity they draw to produce light. The other
95% is lost as heat.
2. Motor vehicles with internal combustion engines waste 94% of the energy in the fuel they
consume.
3. Nuclear power plants producing electricity for space heating or water heating waste about 86%
of the energy in their nuclear fuel.
4. A coal-burning power plant wastes two-thirds of the energy contained in the coal.

3. Scientists and energy experts who have evaluated energy alternatives have come to three general
conclusions. What are these conclusions? State each one and provide a single sentence as explanation
for each.
ANS:
1. There will be a gradual shift from large, centralized macropower systems to smaller,
decentralized micropower systems. The acquisition of energy for each consumer will gradually
switch to individuals in the same way computer use has switched from central mainframes to
personal computers.
2. The best alternatives combine improved energy efficiency and the use of a mixture of
sustainably produced biofuels to make the transition to a diverse mix of locally available
renewable energy resources over the next several decades. Instead of depending on
non-renewable energy sources produced elsewhere, people will make use of locally available
energy resources.
3. Fossil fuels will continue to be used in large quantities because of their extensive supply and
artificially low prices. The low cost and wide availability make fossil fuels attractive, but our
challenge is to figure out ways to use them with fewer harmful environmental impacts.

4. What five criteria must be met by new generation nuclear reactors in order to be considered acceptable
by the experts?
ANS:
1. It must be built so that a runaway chain reaction is impossible.
2. Its fuel must be of the sort that cannot be used to make nuclear weapons.
3. Its spent fuel must be easy to dispose of without burdening future generations with radioactive
waste.
4. Taking its entire fuel cycle into account, it must generate a higher net energy yield than other
energy alternatives do, and compete in the open marketplace without government subsidies, tax breaks,
and loan guarantees.
5. Its entire fuel cycle must generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions than other energy alternatives.

294
5. Briefly describe how a cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) functions.
ANS:
In such a system, two useful forms of energy are produced from the same fuel source. For example,
the steam produced in generating electricity in a CHP system can also be used to heat the plant or other
nearby buildings, rather than being released into the environment and wasted. The energy efficiency
of these systems is 75-90% compared to 30-40% for coal-fired boilers and nuclear power plants.

295

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CHAPTER 13—ENERGY

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate TOP: CORE CASE STUDY

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

9. World oil supplies and prices are expected to be controlled long-term by

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

11. Tar sands

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

15. Liquefied petroleum gas consists of

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

20. The world's most abundant conventional fossil fuel is

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

23. The majority of commercial energy comes from

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

24. In 2009, the President of the United States

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

30. The home of the Rocky Mountain Institute demonstrates that

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

35. Current models of the gasoline-electric car

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

36. Superefficient and ultralight cars

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

42. It is risky for companies to invest in renewable energy because:

ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

43. Advantages of solar heating include all of the following except:

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

45. Which of the following is not an advantage of solar cells?

ANS: E PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy

47. Which of the following statements about PV cells is false?

ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult

ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate

49. Which of the following is a disadvantage of hydropower?

16. An example of an energy efficient window is a window.