APES Chapter 16 Nuclear Energy

A big concern facing geologists in long-term radioactive waste storage is that A) People living in the area will begin to glow in the dark B) the half-life will take even longer C) groundwater will seep into land sites and become contaminated D) people will mistake it for fluorescent minerals E) the public will not tolerate the necessary safety measures

The isotope of uranium that undergoes fission and releases huge amounts of energy is A) 190U B) 225Pt C) 60I D) 235U E) 90Ba

A nuclear reactor contains a core with many fuel rods containing A) steel pellets B) uranium oxide pellets C) iron pellets D) palladium pellets E) silicon pellets

Which country's government has strongly promoted increases in nuclear power use over the past 30 years? A) Columbia B) Madagascar C) Holland D) France E) Spain

An instrument used to detect radioactive ions is called a(n) A) mass spectrometer B) metal detector C) ionization counter D) gas chromatograph E) high-performance liquid chromatograph

A strong regulatory backlash to nuclear power in the United States occurred in response to the A) Three Mile Island accident B) first US nuclear power plant built C) September 11, 2001, terriorist attacks D) eruption of Mount St. Helens E) use of nuclear power in submarines

No new nuclear power plants have been built or planned in the United States since A) 1958 B) 1962 C) 1977 D) 1983 E) 1990

The time for a radioactive element or isotope to degrade is known as its A) half-life B) fission potential C) transmutability point D) radioactive potential E) radioactive point

The Yucca mountain facility, scheduled to open in 2017, is for the A) mining of uranium B) department of energy’s yearly retreat C) storage of new power plant construction material D) protection of local inhabitants in the event of nuclear attack E) storage of spent uranium fuel

The biggest advantage of nuclear energy generation is that A) it is free B) it doesn’t generate greenhouse gases C) it takes very few people to operate a plant D) it produces low-wattage power E) many developing countries are rapidly increasing their nuclear portfolio

Decay of radioactive isotopes is affected by the A) isotopes’ boiling point B) pressure C) properties of the isotopes’ storage container D) stability of an element at a certain energy level E) size of the original sample

After three mile island, much better plant and safety designs, along w the creation of which organization, occurred? A) department of energy B) occupational health and safety organization C) department of interior D) Richard smalley nanotechnology institute E) institute of nuclear power operations

Each year, roughly what amount of used fuel is created by every 1000 megawatt nuclear electric power plant? A) 10 metric tons B) 25 metric tons C) 30 metric tons D) 50 metric tons E) 65 metric tons

French scientist Marie Curie coined what termed in 1898? A) radioactivity B) isotope C) half-life D) geological time E) fission

Besides alpha and beta particles separated in a magnetic field, what other short-wavelength particles can be detected? A) joules B) quarks C) gamma particles D) radioactive dust E) omega particles

Radioactive elements provide power sources for all but which of the following? A) pacemakers B) generators C) submarines D) satellites E) automobiles

What important action did the nuclear regulatory commission take in 2000? A) they decided to stop work on the Yucca mountain waste storage B) they issued the first-ever renewal of a nuclear power plants operating license C) they offered green credits for nuclear energy D) they published a successful method of nuclear fusion E) they collaborated w France on better ways to store electric power

Nuclear power is a commonly generated using the element A) copper B) actinium C) mercury D) uranium E) platinum

Energy usually results in the release of which of the following? A) heat B) light C) work D) wastes E) water

Explosions and collapses are dangers in the mining of which fossil fuel? A) natural gas B) coal C) petroleum D) geothermal energy E) uranium

Which of the following forms of coal is a metamorphic rock? A) peat B) lignite C) bituminous coal D) anthracite E) petroleum

Synfuels are produced from alteration of which energy source? A) hydrogen B) petroleum C) hydroelectric power D) geothermal E) coal

Which of the following is an advantage of nuclear energy ? A) emits one-sixth the amount of CO2 as does coal B) open to the threat of terrorist attacks C) possibility of accidents D) low net energy yield E) high costs to set up and maintain

Which type of alternative energy source has the potential for visual and noise pollution? A) geothermal energy B) hydroelectric energy C) wind power D) tidal power E) ocean-wave power