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Environmental Science 1st Semester Review Flashcards | StudBud
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Environmental Science 1st Semester Review
Environmental Science 1st Semester Review
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1
Which freshwater source is the most difficult to clean up once it has been contaminated by pollutants?
river
reservoir
lake
aquifer
2
Which of the following best represents the process of photosynthesis?
carbon dioxide + glucose + solar energy → water + oxygen
oxygen + glucose + solar energy → carbon dioxide + water
carbon dioxide + water + solar energy → glucose + oxygen
oxygen + glucose → solar energy + carbon dioxide + water
3
Point sources of pollution include runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farmlands and suburban lawns.
True
False
4
Energy can be generally defined as the ____.
transfer of heat from the Earth's core to its surface
heat generated by atoms losing electrons
capacity to do work
velocity of a moving object
5
Natural gas is a(n) ____.
renewable resource because it can be renewed through geologic processes
inexhaustible resource because it is a form of stored solar energy
nonrenewable resource because it cannot be formed on human time scales
ecosystem service because oil is a valuable commodity sold in the marketpla
6
About 90% of energy is lost with each transfer from one trophic level to the next.
True
False
7
Photosynthesis is performed by primary producers.
True
False
8
Which of these is a renewable resource?
Wind energy
All of the above
Solar energy
Hydropower
9
Water evaporates from the surfaces of plants through a process called ____.
erosion
transpiration
photosynthesis
surface runoff
10
What is gray water?
used water from household appliances, showers and sinks
virtual water that is used indirectly by consumers
water that passes through a desalination plant
untreated sewage from industrial sources
11
A scientific hypothesis is a possible, but not yet well-tested, explanation of data.
False
True
12
The oceans contain about ____ of Earth’s water.
97%
21%
50%
3%
13
The layer of the Earth where living organisms can be found is called the ____.
atmosphere
biosphere
ozone layer
troposphere
14
On a global scale, most fresh water taken from aquifers, lakes, and rivers is used for _____.
domestic use in households
irrigation of crops and raising livestock
manufacturing processes
flushing toilets
15
Oxygen accounts for about ____ of the air in the atmosphere.
21%
50%
97%
78%
16
Environmental science can be described as interdisciplinary because it ____.
includes biology, chemistry, geology, social sciences, and the humanities
includes topics that are not explored in other disciplines
is rapidly evolving over time into a different form of science
allows for a thorough study of the environment
17
A ball falling to the ground is an example of kinetic energy.
False
True
18
About 80% of the world’s human population live in ____.
nations with high average income per person
less-developed countries
the United States, China, India and Germany
environmentally sustainable societies
19
What action could help reduce water waste from the single largest use of domestic water in the United States?
Install a water-saving toilet tank.
Use gray water to water houseplants.
Use native plants in landscaping.
Use a drip irrigation system.
20
Most forms of energy can be classified as either ____.
kinetic or mechanical
potential or kinetic
chemical or physical
potential or mechanical
21
Gray water is used water from household appliances, showers and sinks.
False
True
22
Fracking technology has resulted in less harm to the environment.
True
False
23
Which type of mining is NOT a form of surface mining?
strip mining
subsurface
mountaintop removal
open-pit
24
Food chains/food webs show how producers, consumers & decomposers are connected as chemical energy flows thru different
life-support systems
trophic levels in an ecosystem
biospheres
energy pyramids
25
Setting a legal limit on food prices _____.
helps consumers and has no effect on farmers
helps farmers and has no effect on consumers
helps consumers but hurts farmers
hurts consumers but helps farmers
26
Managing irrigation to reduce runoff & keeping soil covered with mulch are two ways to stop ______.
pesticides
natural selection
soil erosion
nitrogen fixation
27
Eating grain-fed beef is less sustainable than other meats because growing grain has
low environmental cost & beef requires less grain per pound than other meat
high environmental cost & beef requires more grain per lb. than other meat
no environmental cost so beef requires more grain per pound than other meat
high environmental cost & beef requires less grain per lb. than other meat
28
Carbon is removed from the atmosphere via ____.
infiltration
none of the above
photosynthesis
aerobic respiration
29
1st law of thermodynamics says whenever matter undergoes physical or chemical change, atoms can't be created or destroyd
True
False
30
Surface runoff is water that _____.
taken up by plants
soaks into the ground through rock
returns to the atmosphere through evaporation
is wasted during flood irrigation of crops
31
Scientific hypotheses differ from scientific theories in that scientific hypotheses are ____.
not able to be tested
arrived at after extensive mathematical modeling
widely accepted descriptions of observations in nature
possible, but not yet well-tested, explanations of data
32
What is the root cause of food insecurity?
food deserts
climate change
poverty
insufficient land
33
About how much energy is lost with each transfer from one trophic level to the next?
10%
90%
35%
0%
34
About 900 million people live in extreme poverty, struggling to live on the equivalent of less than ____ a day.
$8.00
$2.00
$10.00
$5.00
35
An example of potential energy is ____.
the chemical energy stored in gasoline for a car
a bullet fired at high velocity
water flowing down a waterfall
a ball falling through a basket
36
Most soil erosion is caused by agriculture.
True
False
37
Gray water is untreated sewage from industrial sources.
True
False
38
Which statement about nonpoint sources of pollution is correct?
Mainly come from waste pouring out of identifiable sewage pipes.
Are washed into bodies of water along with rain or snow.
Originate in a specific location.
Are easier to identify than point sources of pollution.
39
Point sources of pollution ____.
include runoff of fertilizers & pesticides from farmlands & suburban lawns
enter ecosystems from dispersed and often hard-to-identify sources
are easier to identify than nonpoint sources of pollution
are more difficult to control than nonpoint sources of pollution
40
Overpumping of aquifers is leading to _____.
decreased subsidence
artificially low food prices
increased flooding
dropping water tables
41
Gray water is water that passes through a desalination plant.
False
True
42
2nd law of thermodynamics says whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, _
energy is not created or destroyed
some high-quality energy is converted into low-quality energy
some energy is lost as electromagnetic waves
some matter is lost to the surrounding environment
43
A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular place is a(n) ____.
ecosystem
population
community
territory
44
Which statement best describes the first law of thermodynamics?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed.
Heat is a form of kinetic energy.
Some energy is always lost during physical changes.
Solar energy is converted into chemical energy in living systems.
45
The law of conservation of matter states that whenever matter undergoes a physical or chemical change, ____.
atoms cannot be created or destroyed
atoms can be created and destroyed
energy cannot be created or destroyed
energy can be created but not destroyed
46
Which of the following is a nonrenewable resource?
solar
coal
geothermal
wind
47
Which pollutant associated with coal use is known to contribute to acid rain?
coal ash
soot
sulfur dioxide
nitrogen
48
Which statement best describes the first law of thermodynamics?
atoms can be created and destroyed
atoms cannot be created or destroyed
energy can be created and destroyed
energy cannot be created or destroyed
49
The leading renewable energy resource that is used to produce electricity in the world today is _____.
coal
tidal power
hydropower
natural gas
50
Overpumping of aquifers is leading to dropping water tables.
False
True
51
Natural gas is a renewable resource because it can be renewed through geologic processes.
False
True
52
Oxygen accounts for about 21% of the air in the atmosphere.
False
True
53
Which of these is a renewable resource?
Crude Oil
Natural Gas
None of the above
Coal
54
Nonpoint sources of pollution include runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farmlands and suburban lawns.
True
False
55
Photosynthesis is performed by ____.
detritivores
heterotrophs
autotrophs
decomposers
56
Most soil erosion is caused by _____.
pollution
aquifers
climate change
agriculture
57
Which resource would best be categorized as inexhaustible?
forests
wind energy
coal reserves
natural gas
58
Fracking technology has resulted in _____.
less harm to the environment
reduced air pollution from oil
increased production of oil and gas
better methods for refining crude oil
59
Point sources of pollution are easier to identify than nonpoint sources of pollution.
True
False
60
A scientific law ____.
is what a theory becomes when it passes experimental tests
well-tested/widely accepted description of what happens repeatedly in natur
is a change in nature that has consequences when it is broken
is a hypothesis that has been proven by repeated experiments
