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Env. Sci Final Exam SG
Ch. 13 & 17
50
Science
11th Grade
05/23/2010

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Cards

Term
A true statement concerning the physical properties of air is that
Definition
Warm air can hold more water vapor than an equal amount of cold air.
Term
What doesn't address how oceans affect climatic conditions on land?
Definition
Water cools Earth because it reflects the most sunlight.
Term
The thinning of the ozone layer
Definition
Occurs over both polar regions, is related to seasonal changes, and will take many years to reverse.
Term
What best describes the effect of a mountain range on the climate of a region?
Definition
The coastal side of the range usually has high levels of rain, A desert is often found on the inland side of the range, and Average temperatures are lower at high elevations than at the base of the mountains.
Term
As the amount of ozone in the stratosphere decreases..
Definition
More ultraviolet light is able to reach Earth's surface.
Term
What gas is most responsible for the greenhouse effect?
Definition
Water Vapor
Term
What would happen if the Earth wasn't tilted relative to the plane of its orbit?
Definition
Temperate regions would no longer have seasonal changes in climate
Term
Rain frequently results whenever...
Definition
Warm, Moist air rises
Term
What statement regarding global warming is not accurate?
Definition
Only fossil fuels, not living plants release carbon dioxide when burned.
Term
Ozone holes appear in polar regions during springtime when ozone destroying
Definition
Chlorine atoms are released from polar stratospheric clouds
Term
What correctly states an observation that helps to explain circulation patterns in the atmosphere?
Definition
Warm air rises and cools as it rises.
Term
Chlorofluorocarbon molecules are environmentally significant because...
Definition
Their chlorine atoms can destroy many stratospheric ozone molecules
Term
The average global temperature has ____ during the 20th century
Definition
Risen some years and fallen others, but has increased overall
Term
Climate in a region is...
Definition
the long-term, prevailing atmospheric conditions.
Term
During summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the Northern Hemisphere experiences...
Definition
Winter
Term
Ultraviolet radiation is particularly dangerous because...
Definition
It can damage genetic materials in cells
Term
Latitude strongly influences climate because _____ solar energy falls on areas that are closer to the equator than to the poles
Definition
More
Term
A true statement about greenhouse gases is that they
Definition
Trap heat that is radiated upward from Earth
Term
What would not be a consequence of a rise in global temperature?
Definition
Increased polar ice mass
Term
La Niña is the ____ phase of the En Niño Southern Oscillation(ENSO) cycle.
Definition
Cold
Term
The critical difference between today's global warming and Earth's previous climate changes is that
Definition
Global warming may occur much rapidly than it did during previous climate changes
Term
What best describes the measurements of CO2 levels in the atmosphere since 1958?
Definition
CO2 levels are higher in winter and lower in summer, but winter "highs" have increased each year and the summer "lows" have not fallen as far
Term
How long will it take for chlorofluorocarbons released from Earth's surface today to reach the stratosphere?
Definition
10 to 20 years
Term
Which of the following locations would you expect to have a climate with mild temperatures and frequent rain
Definition
A coastal region at about 30 degree latitude.
Term
An important property of air circulation is
Definition
Cold air is denser than warm air
Term
What is the main reason why fewer nuclear power plants are being built today compared to 40 years ago?
Definition
Nuclear power plants have become too expensive to generate electricity at a reasonable cost
Term
Which of the following accurately describes the use of fossil fuels for energy?
Definition
At the present rate, we will run out of fossil fuels in about 250 years, Burning fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbondioxide into the atmosphere, fossil fuels account for 69 percent of the electricity generated in the US
Term
Electric generators work by...
Definition
Converting mechanical energy into electrical energy
Term
Oil and natural gas result from
Definition
The decay of tiny marine organisms that accumulated on the ocean floor millions of years ago.
Term
Inside the combustion chamber of a coal-fired power plant...
Definition
Burning fossil fuels release energy in the form of heat.
Term
Most of the energy consumed in the United States is used for
Definition
Industrial purposes
Term
The energy needs for the United States in the 1990s have
Definition
Risen slightly
Term
A nuclear reactor is
Definition
Surrounded by a thick pressure vessel that is filled with a cooling fluid
Term
New nuclei and neutrons result from
Definition
the splitting of an atom's nucleus
Term
Nuclear fusion...
Definition
Must take place at extremely high temperatures
Term
Storage sites for nuclear wastes...
Definition
Should be located only in areas that are extremely geologically stable.
Term
Solar energy, or energy from the sun, is contained in
Definition
Fossil fuels
Term
A fuel's suitability is dependent on all the following factors except...
Definition
Magnetism
Term
How is electricity generated in a coal-fired power plant?
Definition
The heat generated from burning coal turns water into steam, which turns a turbine, thus running electric generator
Term
Which country uses the least amount of energy per person?
Definition
Argentina
Term
Coal is formed when
Definition
Swamplands are buried by sediment. The added weight creates heat and pressure that converts the plants to coal
Term
Which of the following is an advantage of using fossil fuels for energy?
Definition
Versatility in their uses
Term
What doesn't help predict future oil production?
Definition
The number of oil refineries operating in the past
Term
During the process of nuclear fission
Definition
A neutron splits a uranium-235 atom, forming new elements and releasing several neutrons, plus energy
Term
In a nuclear power plant,
Definition
Solid neutron pellets undergo a chain reaction and release massive amount of heat
Term
Which of the following is an advantage of nuclear energy
Definition
It does not produce air pollution.
Term
What is not the main use of fuel?
Definition
Cooking
Term
The energy in fossil fuels is often converted into
Definition
Electricity
Term
Much of the oil and natural gas in the United States is located in
Definition
Alaska, Texas, California and the Gulf of Mexico
Term
Oil production is still increasing, but it...
Definition
Is increasing much more slowly than it did in the 1960s
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