Part 2: Water, Soil, Mineral & Rock and Energy

Question 1

is the most heavily used metal and it is also one of the most common metals.

Answer 1

Iron

Question 2

is another relatively common metal, and it is the second most widely used.

Answer 2

Aluminum

Question 3

is primarily used for electrical applications because it is an excellent conductor of electricity.

Answer 3

Copper

Question 4

is used in batteries; among its many other applications, it is a component of many solders and is used in paints and ceramics.

Answer 4

Lead

Question 5

coating on steel cans keeps the cans from rusting, and zinc is also used in the manufacture of brass and other alloys

Answer 5

Zinc

Question 6

is used not only for jewelry, in the arts, and in commerce, but also in the electronics industry and in dentistry. It is particularly valued for its resistance to tarnishing.

Answer 6

gold

Question 7

principal single use is for photographic materials (for example, film), and the next broadest applications are in electronics.

Answer 7

Silver

Question 8

is an excellent catalyst, a substance that promotes chemical reactions.

Answer 8

Platinum

Question 9

may be recovered from petroleum during refining, from volcanic deposits and from evaporites.

Answer 9

Sulfur

Question 10

or rock salt, is used principally as a source of the sodium and chlorine of which it is composed, and secondarily for road salt, either directly or through the production of other salts from it

Answer 10

Halite

Question 11

is essential to the manufacture of plaster, Portland cement, and wallboard for construction.

Answer 11

Gypsum

Question 12

are key ingredients of the synthetic fertilizers

Answer 12

Phosphate rock and potassium-rich potash

Question 13

is not a single mineral, but a group of layered hydrous silicates that are formed at low temperature, commonly by weathering, and that are abundant in sedimentary deposits in the United States.

Answer 13

Clay

Question 14

were used in construction, especially in making cement and concrete

Answer 14

sand and gravel

Question 15

was used in industry, particularly for
glassmaking

Answer 15

quartz-rich sand

Question 16

One might replace a very rare metal with a more abundant one. The extent to which this is likely to succeed is limited, since reserves of most metals are quite limited.

Answer 16

Substitutions

Question 17

are generally much less apparent than surface mines. They disturb a relatively small area of the land’s surface close to the principal shaft(s).

Answer 17

Underground mines

Question 18

consist of either open-pit mining (including
quarrying) or strip-mining.

Answer 18

Surface-mining activities

Question 19

is practical when a large, three-dimensional ore body is located near the surface. Most of the material in the pit contains the valuable commodity and is extracted for processing.

Answer 19

Open-pit mining

Question 20

more often used to extract coal than mineral resources, is practiced most commonly when the material of interest occurs in a layer near
and approximately parallel to the surface.

Answer 20

Strip-mining,

Question 21

usually involves regarding the area to level the spoil banks and to provide a more gently sloping land surface; restoring the soil; replanting grass, shrubs, or other vegetation

Answer 21

Reclamation

Question 22

is commonly used to extract gold from its ore

Answer 22

cyanide

Question 23

to extract metals from ores may, depending on the ores involved and on emission controls, release arsenic, lead, mercury, and other potentially toxic elements along with exhaust gases and ash

Answer 23

Smelting

Question 24

also releases the sulfur oxide gases that are implicated in the production of acid rain

Answer 24

Sulfide-ore processing

Question 25

refers to any remains or evidence of ancient life.

Answer 25

Fossil

Question 26

are those energy sources that formed from the remains of once living organisms. These include oil, natural gas, coal, and fuels derived from oil shale and tar sand.

Answer 26

Fossil fuels

Question 27

In the final stages, most or all of the petroleum is further broken down into very simple, light, gaseous molecules-that is the

Answer 27

natural gas

Question 28

Some of the heavier hydrocarbons may also be broken up during refining into smaller, lighter molecules through a process called

Answer 28

cracking

Question 29

are among the non-renewable energy sources.

Answer 29

oil and natural gas

Question 30

Recovery using no techniques beyond pumping is

Answer 30

primary recovery.

Question 31

is when flow falls off, water may be pumped into the reservoir, filling empty pores and buoying up more oil to the well.

Answer 31

Secondary recovery

Question 32

is contained in most coal deposits. This methane has been treated as a hazardous nuisance, potentially explosive, and its incidental release during coal mining has contributed to rising methane concentrations in the atmosphere.

Answer 32

Coal-bed methane

Question 33

are crystalline solids of gas and water molecules. These have been found to be abundant in arctic regions and in marine sediments

Answer 33

Gas (methane) hydrates

Question 34

- are the large, sudden, catastrophic spills - spills represent the largest negative impacts from the extraction and transportation of petroleum

Answer 34

Oil spills

Question 35

oil spills occur in two principal ways: (2)

Answer 35

- from accidents during drilling of offshore oil wells and - from wrecks of oil tankers at sea.

Question 36

is formed from the remains of land plants

Answer 36

Coal

Question 37

The process requires anaerobic conditions, in which oxygen is absent or nearly so, since reaction with oxygen destroys the organic matter.

Answer 37

coal formation

Question 38

In coal formation process, the first combustible product formed under suitable conditions is

Answer 38

peat

Question 39

Further burial, with more heat, pressure, and time, gradually dehydrates the organic matter and transforms the spongy peat (1) into soft brown coal called ______________ (2) and then to the harder coals _____________ and ______________

Answer 39

- lignite - bituminous and anthracite

Question 40

As the coals become harder, their carbon content increases, and so does the amount of heat released by burning a given weight of coal. The hardest, high-carbon coals (especially _______________) are the most desirable as fuels because of their potential energy yield.

Answer 40

anthracite

Question 41

The heat to which coals can be subjected is limited, overly high temperatures lead to metamorphism of coal into

Answer 41

graphite

Question 42

(1) The estimated world reserve of coal is (2) The total resources are estimated at

Answer 42

- about one trillion tons - over 10 trillion tons.

Question 43

Coal can be converted to liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon fuels, gasoline or natural gas, by causing the coal to react with steam or with hydrogen gas at high temperatures. The conversion processes are called ____________ when product is gaseous

Answer 43

gasification

Question 44

Coal can be converted to liquid or gaseous hydrocarbon fuels, gasoline or natural gas, by causing the coal to react with steam or with hydrogen gas at high temperatures. The conversion processes are called ____________ when product is liquid fuel

Answer 44

liquefaction

Question 45

A major problem posed by coal is the pollution associated with its mining and use. Coal produces _______________ when burned. It produces significantly

Answer 45

carbon dioxide (CO2)

Question 46

are poisonous and are extremely irritating to eyes and lungs. The gases also react with water in the atmosphere to produce sulfuric acid, a very strong acid. This acid then falls to earth as acid rainfall.

Answer 46

sulfur dioxide (SO2)

Question 47

- consists mostly of noncombustible silicate minerals, also contains toxic metals. - could cause sediment pollution.

Answer 47

ash

Question 48

is notoriously dangerous, as well as expensive. Mines can collapse; miners may contract black lung disease from breathing the dust; there is always danger of explosion from pockets of natural gas that occur in many coal seams

Answer 48

Underground mining

Question 49

can pollute area ground and surface waters, killing aquatic plants and animals in lakes and streams and contaminating the water supply.

Answer 49

acid runoff

Question 50

is formed from the remains of plants, algae, and bacteria.

Answer 50

Kerogen

Question 51

also known as oil sands, are sedimentary rocks containing a very thick, semisolid, tarlike petroleum

Answer 51

Tar sands

Question 52

thick, semisolid, tarlike petroleum

Answer 52

bitumen

Question 53

is the splitting apart of atomic nuclei into smaller ones, with the release of energy. This is the commercially feasible nuclear power process.

Answer 53

Fission

Question 54

is the combining of smaller nuclei into larger ones, also releasing energy.

Answer 54

Fusion

Question 55

The fissionable nucleus of most interest in modern nuclear power reactors is the isotope of uranium with 92 protons and 143 neutrons

Answer 55

uranium-235.

Question 56

Worldwide, 95% of known uranium reserves are found in

Answer 56

sedimentary or metasedimentary rock

Question 57

A major concern regarding the use of fission power is

Answer 57

reactor safety

Question 58

the flow of cooling water to the reactor core would be interrupted.

Answer 58

loss of coolant event

Question 59

in which the fuel and core materials would deteriorate into a molten mass that might or might not melt its way out of the containment building and thus release high levels of radiation into the environment, depending upon the design of the reactor and containment building

Answer 59

core meltdown

Question 60

is often important for cooling purposes but makes water pollution in case of mishap more likely.

Answer 60

Proximity to water

Question 61

Miners exposed to the higher radiation levels in uranium mines have experienced higher occurrence rates of

Answer 61

cancer

Question 62

is both radioactive and chemically toxic

Answer 62

Plutonium

Question 63

- is the process by which two or smaller atomic nuclei combine to form a larger one, with an accompanying release of energy - It is the process by which the sun generates its vast amounts of energy. In the sun, simple hydrogen nuclei containing one proton are fused to produce helium

Answer 63

Fusion

Question 64

is plentiful because it is a component of water; an essentially inexhaustible supply of the necessary fuel for fusion.

Answer 64

Hydrogen

Question 65

hydrogen isotopes that is easy to achieve for fusion on earth: (2)

Answer 65

- deuterium (nucleus, 1 proton and 1 neutron) - tritium (1 proton and 2 neutron)

Question 66

- principal product of the projected fusion reactions - is a nontoxic, chemically inert, harmless gas.

Answer 66

Helium

Question 67

is a means of generating electricity in stationary power plants only.

Answer 67

Fusion

Question 68

- essentially pollution-free in the sense that the absorption of sunlight for heat or the operation of a solar cell for electricity is very “clean” processes. - it produces no hazardous solid wastes, air or water pollution, or noise.

Answer 68

Solar Energy

Question 69

typically combines direct use of sunlight for warmth with some provision for collecting and storing additional heat to draw on when the sun is not shining.

Answer 69

Solar space heating

Question 70

- The simplest approach that does not require mechanical assistance. - The building design should allow the maximum amount of light to stream in through south and west windows during the cooler months.

Answer 70

Passive-solar heating

Question 71

- The system usually involves the mechanical circulation of solar-heated water. - The flat solar collectors are water-filled, shallow boxes with a glass surface to admit sunlight and a dark lining to absorb sunlight and help heat the water.

Answer 71

Active-solar heating

Question 72

- Direct production of electricity using sunlight is accomplished through - have no moving parts and, like solar heating systems, do not emit pollutants during operation.

Answer 72

photovoltaic cells (solar cells)

Question 73

The earth contains a great deal of heat, some of it left over from its early history, some continually generated by decay of radioactive elements in the earth.

Answer 73

Geothermal Energy

Question 74

Temperatures tend to remain nearly constant only a few tens of feet underground. This is the key fact that makes possible a type of geothermal technology that can address both heating and cooling needs at the scale of individual buildings.

Answer 74

Geothermal heat pumps

Question 75

The magma-warmed waters may escape at the surface in

Answer 75

geysers and hot springs

Question 76

has the highest concentration of thermal features of any single geothermal area in the world, but because of its scenic value and uniqueness, the decision was made years ago not to build geothermal power plants there.

Answer 76

Yellowstone National Park

Question 77

The energy of falling or flowing water which has been used for centuries.

Answer 77

Hydropower

Question 78

According to the National Electrification Administration (NEA), the country’s first Pico hydro power generation system was put up by

Answer 78

Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO)

Question 79

Three different approaches to extract energy from Earth’s oceans: (3)

Answer 79

- Tidal and wave energy - Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) - up-and-down motion of the water

Question 80

It exploits the temperature difference between warm surface water and the cold water at depth.

Answer 80

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC)

Question 81

A commercial tidal-power electricity-generating plant requires at least ______________ difference between high and low tides for efficient generation of electricity

Answer 81

5 meters

Question 82

are ultimately powered by the sun, _________ can be regarded as a variant of solar energy.

Answer 82

Wind energy

Question 83

are required to generate as much power as a sizable conventional coal- or nuclear powered electric generating plant by wind generators

Answer 83

1000 1-megawatt

Question 84

has become a catchall for various ways of deriving energy from biomass, from organisms or from their remains.

Answer 84

Biofuels

Question 85

is ultimately solar energy, since most biofuels come from plant materials, and plants need sunlight to grow

Answer 85

Biomass-derived energy

Question 86

biofuels fall into three broad categories: (3)

Answer 86

- wood - waste - alcohol fuels.

Question 87

biomass fuels that involve agricultural or other wastes that would historically have been burned in a field or dumped in a landfill.

Answer 87

Waste-Derived Fuels

Question 88

general term for fuels derived from vegetable oil or animal fats.

Answer 88

biodiesel

Question 89

are suitable sites for methane production as organic wastes in the refuse decay.

Answer 89

Sanitary-landfill operations

Question 90

- Alcohol was extensively developed mainly for incorporation into - a blend of 90% gasoline and 10% alcohol

Answer 90

Gasohol

Question 91

most common type of fuel alcohol)

Answer 91

ethanol