Unit 1 Test

Question 1

Renewable resources include all of the following, except:
  Coal 
  Air 
  Water 
  Forests

Answer 1

Coal

Question 2

When rainwater filters through toxic waste, a toxic fluid called ___________ is produced, which may seep into the ground and runoff into waterways.

Answer 2

leachate

Question 3

According to the Second Law of Thermodynamics:

Answer 3

biological systems that reduce entropy also lead to a corresponding increase in entropy elsewhere in the environment.

Question 4

What is the approximate doubling time of a population growing exponentially at a rate of 7% annually?

Answer 4

10 years

Question 5

Discarded materials that are recycled and reused inherently contribute to an overall increase in _____.

Answer 5

entrophy

Question 6

High-quality energy is not required for:

Answer 6

Heating a home

Question 7

A tentative explanation of observations is called a _____. For this to become accepted, it must meet these two attributions: it must be an explanation of data and predictions and it must be reproducible, meaning it can be tested repeatedly and consistently and yield the same results.

Answer 7

hypothesis

Question 8

The Tennessee Valley Authority was established to: 
  Provide employment 
  Alleviate economic depression 
  Cultivate environmental stewardship 
  All of the above

Answer 8

All of the above

Question 9

A non-renewable resource is considered to be depleted when _____ has been used.

Answer 9

80%

Question 10

The Forest Reserve Act of 1891:

Answer 10

established the federal government as custodians of the land, protecting it from exploitation, and ideally preserving it for future generations

Question 11

The impact of a hunter-gatherer society is considered lower because:

Answer 11

They gave nature time to restore between uses

Question 12

The sun’s energy:

Answer 12

is the earth’s ultimate energy source.

Question 13

The increasing destabilization of a system represents a:

Answer 13

positive feedback loop

Question 14

Overuse of common property resources, which are owned by no one, but available to everyone describes the concept of:

Answer 14

the Tragedy of the Commons

Question 15

A paradigm shift:

Answer 15

occurs when new breakthroughs re-define the workings of the world significantly alter our understandings of the world.

Question 16

All of the following are examples of a positive feedback loop, except:

A thermostat
The greenhouse effect
Exponential population growth
Compound interest in a savings account

Answer 16

A thermostat

Question 17

“This strategy maintains that if an action carries a suspected risk of harm to either people or the environment, even without clear scientific proof, the action should be avoided. This attitude confronts the risks inherent in currently incomplete scientific understanding, and cautiously progresses from there. Examples include space travel, GMOs, nanotechnology and systemic insecticides. The protections put in place are loosened when further scientific studies find sound evidence that no harm will result.”

This passage is best described as:

Answer 17

The precautionary principle

Question 18

Which of the following is the best example of a point source water pollutant?

Answer 18

Factory effluent

Question 19

This law states that various elements and compounds may change from one physical or chemical form to another, but that no matter can be created or destroyed:

Answer 19

The First Law of Thermodynamics

Question 20

Which of the following is a tenant of belief held by the anthropogenic world view?
The earth has an unlimited supply of resources
Economic growth benefits all humans
Human growth potential is unlimited
All of the above

Answer 20

All of the above

Question 21

A ‘J’ shaped curve indicates linear growth.

True
False

Answer 21

False

Question 22

The highest rate at which a renewable resource can be used without reducing its availability is called the:

Answer 22

Sustainable yield

Question 23

Discarded materials that are recycled and reused inherently contribute to an overall increase in _____.

Answer 23

Entropy

Question 24

Which of the following is the best example of a situation where an environmental degradation has had a delayed reaction?

Answer 24

Damage and depletion to the ozone layer

Question 25

Carrying capacity is reached for a species in an ecosystem when:

Answer 25

Reproduction is too high in a particular season

Question 26

Which of the following factors can affect human carrying capacity?
Desertification of large tracts of agricultural land.
Global warming.
Technological improvements.
All of these can affect human carrying capacity.

Answer 26

All of these can affect human carrying capacity.

Question 27

These have the smallest wavelengths and emit the highest form of harmful ionizing radiation.

Answer 27

Gamma particles

Question 28

Which of the following is true regarding the comparison of nuclear fission to nuclear fusion?
Nuclear fusion is more difficult to initiate than nuclear fission.
Nuclear fusion produces less energy than nuclear fission.
Nuclear fusion occurs in atomic bombs, whereas nuclear fission occurs in hydrogen bombs.
Nuclear fusion occurs only in nuclear power plants, whereas nuclear fission occurs only in the sun

Answer 28

Nuclear fusion is more difficult to initiate than nuclear fission.

Question 29

Which of the following is most likely a significant cause of the general trend indicated by this graph?
(graph: higher CO2 Concentration (ppm) as years progress)

Answer 29

Increase in consumption of fossil fuels.

Question 30

This law states that various elements and compounds may change from one physical or chemical form to another, but that no matter can be created or destroyed:

Answer 30

the Law of Conservation of Matter