Fossil fuel, nuclear, and renewable energy resource concepts and their environmental tradeoffs tested on AP Environmental Science.
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- What type of rock formed from the remains of dead organisms over millions of years?
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Sedimentary rock- Coal forms primarily from the remains of what ancient organisms?
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Plants and trees from ancient swamps and forests- Petroleum (crude oil) is formed from the buried remains of what organisms?
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Microscopic marine organisms and plankton- Which fossil fuel is a gaseous hydrocarbon mixture formed alongside oil and coal?
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Natural gas- What is the process called when surface vegetation and soil are removed to access coal beneath?
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Strip mining- Mountaintop removal is an extraction method primarily used for what fossil fuel?
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Coal- The main by-product of burning fossil fuels that contributes to climate change is what gas?
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Carbon dioxide (CO2)- Which fossil fuel produces the most carbon dioxide per unit of energy when burned?
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Coal- What term describes the ratio of energy obtained from a resource to the energy required to extract and process it?
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Energy Return on Investment (EROI)- In nuclear fission, what happens to a nucleus to release energy?
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A nucleus splits (divides) into smaller nuclei- What is the primary challenge with nuclear waste disposal?
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Radioactive waste remains hazardous for thousands of years with no permanent disposal solution established- What type of nuclear accident occurred at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island?
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A reactor core overheated and either partially or completely melted- In photovoltaic solar panels, what do silicon cells convert?
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Sunlight directly into electrical current- What is the difference between solar thermal and photovoltaic solar energy?
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Solar thermal uses the sun's heat directly for heating (water or air), while photovoltaic converts light into electricity- Wind turbines convert wind energy into what form of energy?
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Electrical energy
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