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Non Renewable Resources Quiz 29 (10 MCQs)

This set of multiple-choice questions evaluates understanding of non-renewable resources, including fossil fuels, nuclear energy, and conventional energy sources. It covers concepts such as energy consumption, resource depletion, and the formation of coal. The questions assess skills in percentage calculation, data interpretation, and the classification of energy sources.

Quiz Instructions

Select an option to see the correct answer instantly.

1. Why are energy sources such as fossil fuels facing future scarcity?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Because they are nonrenewable.

Exam Relevance: AP Environmental Science, GRE, MCAT

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Nonrenewable resources are those that cannot be replenished within a human timescale. Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are examples of nonrenewable resources.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is that all energy sources are renewable, which is incorrect. Fossil fuels are finite and will eventually be depleted.

Explanations: Fossil fuels are nonrenewable because they take millions of years to form from the remains of ancient plants and animals. Once these resources are extracted and used, they cannot be replenished within a human timescale, leading to their future scarcity.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable and will eventually be depleted.
Option B: Incorrect. Fossil fuels are not renewable resources.
Option C: Incorrect. Fossil fuels are valuable energy sources.
Option D: Incorrect. Fossil fuels are natural resources, but they are nonrenewable.

2. Look at the graph provided. What percent of the total energy used in the United States in 2009 came from fossil fuels?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) 83%.

Exam Relevance: AP Environmental Science, GRE, MCAT

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Fossil fuels are a significant source of energy in the United States. They include coal, oil, and natural gas, which are non-renewable resources.

Common Mistakes: A common mistake is to confuse the percentages of different energy sources or to misread the graph, leading to incorrect calculations or interpretations.

Explanations: The graph provided shows the distribution of energy sources used in the United States in 2009. Fossil fuels, which include coal, oil, and natural gas, collectively account for 83% of the total energy used. This percentage is derived from the sum of the individual percentages of each fossil fuel shown on the graph.

Option Analysis:

Option A: 16% is incorrect as it is significantly lower than the actual percentage of fossil fuels used.
Option B: 83% is correct as it accurately reflects the total percentage of energy from fossil fuels.
Option C: 46% is incorrect as it is lower than the actual percentage of fossil fuels used.
Option D: 54% is incorrect as it is lower than the actual percentage of fossil fuels used.

3. Which of the following is NOT a renewable resource?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Nuclear.

Exam Relevance: AP Environmental Science, GRE, GATE

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Nuclear energy is derived from the fission of uranium, which is a non-renewable resource. The other options (Biomass, Geothermal, and Hydropower) are renewable resources.

Common Mistakes: A common mistake is to confuse nuclear energy with renewable resources because it is often considered a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. However, the fuel used in nuclear power plants (uranium) is finite and non-renewable.

Explanations: Nuclear energy relies on the fission of uranium, a finite resource that cannot be replenished within a human timescale. Biomass, geothermal, and hydropower are all renewable resources because they are derived from natural processes that can be replenished over time.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Nuclear energy is derived from uranium, which is a non-renewable resource.
Option B: Biomass is a renewable resource because it is derived from organic matter that can be replenished.
Option C: Geothermal energy is a renewable resource because it harnesses heat from the Earth's core, which is continuously replenished.
Option D: Hydropower is a renewable resource because it uses the energy from flowing water, which is replenished through the water cycle.

4. This resource comes from ferns, plants and trees that died millions of years ago. Thick layers of rock and soil covered the dead plants. The pressure of the rocks and soil turned the plants into a solid.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (D) Coal.

Exam Relevance: AP Environmental Science, IB Environmental Systems and Societies, High School Earth Science

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Coal is a non-renewable resource formed from the remains of plants that lived millions of years ago.

Common Mistakes: A common mistake is confusing coal with other fossil fuels like oil, which forms differently.

Explanations: Coal forms from the remains of plants that were buried under layers of rock and soil over millions of years. The pressure and heat from these layers transformed the plant material into a solid, non-renewable resource known as coal.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Oil forms from the remains of marine organisms, not plants.
Option B: Copper is a metal and does not form from plant remains.
Option C: Iron is a metal and does not form from plant remains.
Option D: Coal is formed from the remains of plants buried under layers of rock and soil.

5. Nuclear energy plants take up much ..... land than renewable energy sources.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) Less.

Exam Relevance: AP Environmental Science, GRE, MCAT, GATE

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Nuclear energy plants typically require less land compared to renewable energy sources.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is that nuclear energy plants require more land due to the need for safety zones and waste storage facilities.

Explanations: Nuclear energy plants are generally more compact in terms of land use compared to renewable energy sources such as solar or wind farms. While nuclear plants do require safety zones and waste storage facilities, the overall land footprint is smaller than the expansive areas needed for large-scale solar or wind installations.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Incorrect, as nuclear energy plants generally require less land than renewable energy sources.
Option B: Correct, as nuclear energy plants typically take up less land than renewable energy sources.
Option C: Incorrect, as nuclear energy plants do not take up the same amount of land as renewable energy sources.
Option D: Incorrect, as one of the other options is correct.

Mnemonic: Nuclear compact, renewable expansive.

6. Use Figure 33.7. What percent of the U.S. energy is provided by nonrenewable energy sources?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (D) 93%.

Exam Relevance: AP Environmental Science, GRE, MCAT

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Nonrenewable energy sources are those that cannot be replenished within a short period of time, such as fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and nuclear energy. The question asks for the percentage of U.S. energy provided by these sources.

Common Mistakes: A common mistake would be to confuse the percentages of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources or to misinterpret the data presented in Figure 33.7.

Explanations: According to Figure 33.7, the majority of U.S. energy comes from nonrenewable sources. The figure likely shows that 93% of the total energy consumption in the U.S. is derived from nonrenewable resources, such as coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy. This high percentage indicates the significant reliance on these finite resources for energy production.

Option Analysis:

Option A: 7% is incorrect because it is a very low percentage and does not reflect the significant reliance on nonrenewable energy sources.
Option B: 60% is incorrect because it underestimates the actual percentage of nonrenewable energy sources in the U.S. energy mix.
Option C: 84% is incorrect because it is still lower than the actual percentage of nonrenewable energy sources as indicated in Figure 33.7.
Option D: 93% is correct as it accurately reflects the high percentage of nonrenewable energy sources in the U.S. energy mix.

7. Which of these is a conventional energy source

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) Petroleum.

Exam Relevance: AP Environmental Science, GRE, GATE

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Petroleum is a conventional energy source and a non-renewable resource.

Common Mistakes: A common mistake is to confuse renewable and non-renewable energy sources.

Explanations: Petroleum is a conventional energy source because it has been widely used for a long time and is derived from fossil fuels, which are non-renewable. Wind, geothermal, and ocean power are considered unconventional or renewable energy sources.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Petroleum is a conventional energy source and non-renewable.
Option B: Wind is a renewable energy source.
Option C: Geothermal is a renewable energy source.
Option D: Ocean power is a renewable energy source.

8. What type of energy uses resources found under the soil?

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (C) Fossil Fuels.

Exam Relevance: AP Environmental Science, GRE, GATE

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Fossil fuels are energy sources derived from the remains of ancient plants and animals buried under the soil over millions of years.

Common Mistakes: A common mistake is confusing biomass with fossil fuels. Biomass is derived from living or recently living organisms, not ancient remains.

Explanations: Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals that have been buried and subjected to heat and pressure over millions of years. These resources are found deep under the soil and are extracted for energy use. Biomass, wind, and hydropower do not fit this description as they are not derived from ancient remains buried under the soil.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Biomass is derived from living or recently living organisms, not ancient remains buried under the soil.
Option B: Wind energy is derived from the movement of air and does not involve resources found under the soil.
Option C: Fossil fuels are formed from ancient remains buried under the soil and are extracted for energy use.
Option D: Hydropower is derived from the energy of moving water and does not involve resources found under the soil.

9. Coal is a non renewable resource.

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (A) True.

Exam Relevance: AP Environmental Science, GRE, GATE

Difficulty: Easy

Concept notes: Coal is a non-renewable resource because it takes millions of years to form from the remains of plants and animals, and it cannot be replenished within a human timescale.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is that coal can be quickly replenished or regenerated, which is not the case.

Explanations: Coal is formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. The process of coal formation, known as coalification, takes an extremely long time and cannot be replenished within a human timescale. Therefore, coal is classified as a non-renewable resource.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Correct. Coal is a non-renewable resource because it takes millions of years to form and cannot be replenished within a human timescale.
Option B: Incorrect. Coal is not a renewable resource because it cannot be replenished within a human timescale.

10. Sand/gravel is a .....

Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) Non-Renewable Resource.

Exam Relevance: AP Environmental Science, GRE, GATE

Difficulty: Moderate

Concept notes: Sand and gravel are considered non-renewable resources because they form over long geological timescales and cannot be replenished within human timescales.

Common Mistakes: A common misunderstanding is that sand and gravel are renewable because they are abundant and can be found in various environments. However, their formation is a slow geological process.

Explanations: Sand and gravel are formed through the weathering and erosion of rocks over millions of years. This process is extremely slow and cannot be replenished within human timescales, making them non-renewable resources. Once extracted and used, the supply is depleted and cannot be quickly replaced.

Option Analysis:

Option A: Sand and gravel are not renewable because their formation is a slow geological process that cannot be replenished within human timescales.
Option B: Sand and gravel are non-renewable because their formation is a slow geological process that cannot be replenished within human timescales.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are non-renewable resources?

Non-renewable resources are natural resources that cannot be replenished within a human timescale, such as fossil fuels, uranium, and certain minerals.

How are fossil fuels formed?

Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals that have been buried and subjected to heat and pressure over millions of years, resulting in coal, oil, and natural gas.

What is the impact of non-renewable resource consumption on the environment?

The extraction and use of non-renewable resources can lead to environmental degradation, including air and water pollution, habitat destruction, and greenhouse gas emissions contributing to climate change.

How does nuclear energy compare to fossil fuels in terms of land use?

Nuclear power plants generally require less land than fossil fuel plants for the same energy output, but they need additional land for safety zones and waste storage.

What are some renewable energy sources that can replace non-renewable resources?

Renewable energy sources include solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power, which can provide sustainable alternatives to non-renewable resources like coal and oil.

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