Metal & Coal – Population and Resources
This chapter include discussions about metal and coal reserves, earth resources and our population.
Which of the following is a renewable resource?
- natural gas
- coal
- oil
- wind – correct
Which of the following is a nonrenewable resource?
- oil – correct
- at least some types of lumber
- solar energy
- wind
What type of resource is the sun?
- a renewable resource – correct
- none of the above
- a nonrenewable resource
- not a resource
Which of the following is a nonrenewable resource?
- water power
- wind
- coal – correct
- sunlight
How can water be used for energy?
- by placing dams in tidal areas – correct
- by having more windows in your home
- by using solar panels
- by using sunlight passively or actively
Which of the following is not a fossil fuel?
- copper – correct
- petroleum
- coal
- natural gas
What is an ore?
- a metal
- a rock that contains a metal resource – correct
- a rock that contains a nonmetal resource
- a nonmetal resource
Which nonmetal is used as a food?
- rock gypsum
- rock salt – correct
- talc
- quartz
Which term describes a metal found in an uncombined form?
- native element – correct
- renewable resource
- ore
- nonrenewable resource
Which of the following is a mixture of two or more metals?
- alloy – correct
- ore
- smelting
- slag
Which term describes the restoration of the land to its original state?
- prospecting
- reclamation – correct
- subsurface mining
- strip-mining
Which type of mine involves digging tunnels and shafts deep underground?
- strip mine
- subsurface mine – correct
- smelting
- openpit mine
Which type of fire is sometimes set as a way to protect a forest?
- crown fire
- camp fire
- forest fire
- surface fire – correct
Which president established the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?
- Jimmy Carter
- John Kennedy
- Richard Nixon – correct
- Bill Clinton
About how long does it take to form fertile soil?
- 1 week
- 1 year
- 100 years
- 1,000 years – correct
Sustainable agriculture has which of the following impacts?
- soil erodes more quickly
- aquifers are depleted more quickly
- farmland becomes overgrazed
- less cropland is lost – correct
Which of the following is an example of something that can promote sustainable development?
- clearing acres of land to build a home
- using solar panels for heat – correct
- having a leaky septic tank
- having a large yard
What impact does sustainable living have?
- pesticides are used more frequently.
- businesses become unstable and fail.
- natural resources are depleted.
- air, soil, and water quality are protected. – correct
What characteristic do fossil fuels, soil, and sunlight all share?
- They are all renewable resources.
- They are all nonrenewable resources.
- They are all natural resources. – correct
- They are all resources that come from living organisms.
Which of the following is not a natural resource?
- coal
- synthetic diamonds – correct
- aluminum
- water
Which statement is true?
- Nonrenewable resources cannot be managed.
- Nonrenewable resources are found in the ground.
- Nonrenewable resources include sunlight, wind, and certain types of lumber.
- Nonrenewable resources are used at a rate faster than they can be replenished. – correct
Which of the following is an example of a nonrenewable resource?
- coal deposit – correct
- hydroelectric power
- wind
- soil
Which phrase best completes the sentence?
Renewable resources are __________.
- things that can provide heat but not other forms of energy
- things that cannot be replenished
- things such as petroleum and coal
- things that can be naturally replaced in a short period of time – correct
Which of the following is a renewable resource?
- wind – correct
- fossil fuel
- mineral deposit
- all of the above
Why are fossil fuels considered nonrenewable resources?
- They are being consumed in many different ways.
- It takes 500 million years for reserves to form. – correct
- Burning fossil fuels pollutes the atmosphere.
- They need to be extracted from the ground.
Burning fossil fuels releases which of the following into the atmosphere?
- heat
- oxygen
- carbon dioxide – correct
- carbon
Use of fossil fuels contributes to which of the following?
- only water pollution
- only global warming
- only air pollution
- air pollution, water pollution, and global warming – correct
What is a strategic mineral?
- one that is exported from the United States
- one that is easily removed from the ground
- one that must be imported to the United States – correct
- a nonmetallic resource
Which of the following is a good reason to extract mineral resources from the earth?
- It depletes the supply.
- It can contaminate water supplies.
- It increases surface runoff.
- It makes the resource available for use. – correct
Which of the following is a reason not to extract mineral resources from the ground?
- It can improve technology.
- It can provide new jobs.
- It can allow the resource to be used in a helpful way.
- It can cause air, soil, or water pollution. – correct
Which type of mine may be used to remove coal from a coal seam deep underground?
- openpit mine
- strip mine
- subsurface mine – correct
- none of the above
Which process melts an ore to separate useful metals from the rest of the elements in the ore?
- prospecting
- mining
- smelting – correct
- alloys
Setting fires in a forest is sometimes used to __________.
Which phrase best completes the sentence?
- kill weaker trees
- protect the underbrush from larger fires
- protect the larger trees from larger fires – correct
- relocate wildlife to other areas
Which of the following is one way that soil can be managed properly?
- Rotate crops. – correct
- Overirrigate crops.
- Plant the same crop in the same field, year after year.
- Remove all the topsoil from the area.
Which of the following examples is a way to live sustainably?
- Drive your car as much as possible.
- Leave computer screens and light bulbs on.
- Recycle and reuse materials. – correct
- Have a nice green, fertilized lawn.
Which statement describes nuclear fission?
- the splitting of a nucleus – correct
- the joining of two nuclei
- the use of neutrons to make energy
- the production of electricity from atoms
Why is wind energy controversial?
- Wind energy is nonrenewable.
- Wind energy can harm migrating birds. – correct
- Wind energy is expensive.
- Wind energy needs fossil fuels.
Which of the following describes what can happen to the areas upstream of a hydroelectric dam?
- less water in the river
- high electricity costs
- loss of homes to lake formation – correct
- increased soil pollution
Which activity stresses the demand side of water supplies?
- pollution
- overpopulation – correct
- flood
- drought
Which of the following is the most common use for water worldwide?
- industry
- domestic use
- power plants
- agriculture – correct
What separates one watershed from another?
- river
- divide – correct
- waterway
- headwater stream
Which of the following is an abiotic factor?
- producer
- temperature – correct
- population
- consumer
Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem service?
- decreased climate control
- water shortage
- water purification – correct
- soil pollution
What is a process whereby an ecosystem can renew itself?
- purification
- succession – correct
- cleansing
- reconstruction
In Hawaii, the mongoose was brought to the islands to control the snake population. It thrived, and now the mongoose population is rampant.
Which threat to biodiversity describes this situation?
- alien species – correct
- habitat loss
- overharvesting
- habitat degradation
Which activity would be carried out by a conservation biologist?
- conduct survey of a species population in an ecosystem – correct
- pass laws restricting pollution
- purchase land for a conservation easement
- enforce a law restricting the catch of a commercial fishing vessel
To halt the decline in biodiversity, we must do which of the following?
- adopt laws that address issues of economy over environment
- continue using fossil fuels at the present rate
- continue mining practices as they are
- adopt ecological conservation practices – correct
In the absence of social factors, which of the following statements is most accurate?
- Resources are greater than needs, and the population decreases.
- Needs are greater than resources, and the population increases.
- You cannot make predictions about population growth.
- Needs are less than resources, and the population increases. – correct
Droughts can influence which of the following?
- the population directly
- the resources available to a population
- neither the resources nor the population
- both the resources and population – correct
How can population density affect population growth?
- Areas of high population density will have fewer needs and greater available resources.
- Areas of high population density will have greater needs and may deplete available resources. – correct
- Areas of low population density will have no needs.
- Areas of low population density will often have needs that outmatch available resources.
Which of the following is a limit on population growth?
- death rate
- logistic
- exponent
- carrying capacity – correct
How can you tell that a country’s population has had a baby boom?
- Look for a bulge in an age-structure diagram. – correct
- Look for a triangular-shaped age-structure diagram.
- Calculate it from a mathematical model.
- Look for an asymmetrical age-structure diagram.
If death rates exceed birth rates and migration rates do not change, then what will happen to the population?
- You cannot tell from the information given.
- The population will remain the same.
- The population will increase.
- The population will decrease. – correct
What is the most common use of water in the United States?
- power plants – correct
- agriculture
- industry
- domestic use
Which of the following abiotic factors would likely affect humans directly?
- climate change
- water availability – correct
- soil pH
- humidity
A conservation easement would be best suited to offset which of the following threats to biodiversity?
- habitat degradation
- overharvesting
- habitat loss – correct
- exotic species
Which of the following would have direct effects on the resources available to a population?
- socioeconomic status of individuals
- religious beliefs
- war – correct
- housing
Which prediction is true based on this population pyramid?
- The population is declining.
- The population is not growing.
- The population is growing rapidly. – correct
- The population is growing slowly.
If over a 10-year period, a nation of 100 million people has a birth rate of 15 million, but a death rate of 5 million and a net migration rate of 2 million, the population is doing which of the following?
- decreasing first and then growing
- staying the same over time
- decreasing in size
- growing in size – correct
Which of the following would reduce water tables?
- overpopulation – correct
- water pollution
- flood
- snowmelt
Which of the following stresses would most likely cause an ecosystem to respond by succession?
- wildfire – correct
- urbanization
- air pollution
- water pollution
How might a flood affect the population of an area?
- increase available resources
- increase the population
- reduce the need for resources
- reduce the population – correct
Which of the following is a natural resource?
- plastic
- steel
- concrete
- iron – correct
Which of the following is a nonrenewable resource?
- oil – correct
- geothermal energy
- wind power
- solar energy
Which mineral is used in making cans and is found mainly in Australia?
- magnetite
- hematite
- tektite
- bauxite – correct
Smelting is the major method used to refine and enrich which of the following?
- coal
- uranium ore
- iron ore – correct
- oil
Which of the following is an example of sustainable use of natural resources?
- harvesting huge populations of fish from a fishing shoal
- continuously strip mining coal deposits in an area
- planting multiple crops together on a field and harvesting them at different times – correct
- clear-cutting a forest
A resource is being used by a population.
Which graph represents a sustainable yield of that resource?
- Graph A
- Graph B – correct
- Graph C
- Graph D
Which of the following is a renewable resource?
- oil
- forests – correct
- iron ore
- coal
Which technology would best help the United States wean itself from foreign oil?
- geothermal energy
- biodiesel fuel – correct
- more nuclear power plants
- solar-heated homes
Which of the following are greenhouse gases?
- methane, nitrogen, helium
- water vapor, ice crystals
- carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, argon
- carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor – correct
Which climatic zone is always hot and humid?
- tropical wet – correct
- Mediterranean
- arid
- temperate continental
Which factor plays the greatest role in determining the climate in a highland region?
- proximity to large bodies of water
- elevation – correct
- ocean currents
- latitude
Oak and maple trees, chipmunks, white-tailed deer, and black bears emerging from hibernation are all organisms that may be found in which biome?
- grasslands
- desert
- boreal forest
- deciduous forest – correct
The process of upwelling brings which of the following to the surface?
- warm water
- deoxygenated water
- cold water – correct
- freshwater
Which factor determines, or which factors determine, the density of ocean water?
- temperature
- salinity
- temperature, salinity, and light penetration
- temperature and salinity – correct
Why is coal not considered a mineral?
- It is organic. – correct
- It is not a solid.
- It does not have a regular composition.
- It does not occur naturally.
What is the term given to those organisms living in the pelagic zone that can swim?
- plankton
- nekton – correct
- benthos
- coral reef
The carbon cycle is closely related to which of the following?
- movement of oxygen – correct
- nitrogen cycle
- water cycle
- rock cycle
What converts nitrogen into a usable substance during the nitrogen cycle?
- consumers
- nitrogen-fixing bacteria – correct
- legumes
- decomposers
The movement of water from the atmosphere to the ground is called __________.
Which term best completes the sentence?
- transpiration
- evaporation
- condensation
- precipitation – correct
Helium in the sun is produced by which process?
- chemical reaction
- change of hydrogen from liquid to gas
- nuclear fission
- nuclear fusion – correct
During which lunar phase may a solar eclipse occur?
- third quarter moon
- new moon – correct
- full moon
- first quarter moon
Which of the following is a renewable resource?
- wind – correct
- natural gas
- mineral deposits
- coal
Electromagnetic energy can be defined as which of the following?
- energy that moves as particles at the speed of light
- the waves of the electromagnetic spectrum
- energy that moves as a wave at the speed of light – correct
- the frequency of the emission spectrum
Which of the following describes light as a wave?
- Light is exactly similar to water and sound.
- Light is a transverse wave. – correct
- Light is a wave but does not have frequency as a property.
- Light is a converse wave.
Of the terrestrial planets, Earth and Venus are __________.
Which phrase best completes the sentence?
- similar to gas planets
- about the same size – correct
- different in density
- very different in size
A planet’s gravity is related to which of the following?
- surface area
- orbit
- weight and density
- mass and size – correct
All planets rotate counterclockwise except one. Which planet rotates clockwise?
- Mars
- Mercury
- Earth
- Venus – correct
Small rocky bodies that are thought to be leftover remnants of the formation of the solar system are called __________.
Which term best completes the sentence?
- ion tails
- asteroids – correct
- comets
- meteors
Debris from the solar system strikes the earth as which of the following?
- meteors – correct
- moon rocks
- ion tails
- solar eclipses
Which process leads a star to glow and produce energy?
- protostar development
- gravitational pull
- nuclear fusion – correct
- nuclear fission