QUESTION 1
Which gases are greenhouse gases (absorb infrared radiation) and have dramatically increased because of human activities?
- carbon dioxide, argon, nitrogen and helium
- carbon dioxide, uranium hexafluoride, chlorine, and silicon
- carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and halocarbons.
- helium, argon, neon and xeon
QUESTION 2
Naturally occuring events which can warm or cool the climate include
- tsunamis and tornadoes.
- volcanic eruptions and changes in solar activity.
- volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
- earthquakes and tsunamis
QUESTION 3
From research we know that the oceans absorb
- nearly none of the heat added to the climate system.
- all of the heat added to the climate system.
- 80% of the heat added to the climate system.
- almost none of the worlds carbon dioxide.
QUESTION 4
One piece of evidence that humans have influenced global warming is that
- the ocean depths have cooled while the surface has gotten hotter.
- the troposphere (the lower region of the atmosphere) has gotten warmer while the stratosphere above it has cooled.
- algea blooms in the oceans have become more common.
- the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased.
QUESTION 5
The Vikings left greenland because
- the innuits were mean to them.
- they couldn't get fresh water.
- they were defeated by the spanish.
- of a cold snap which lasted for 500 years.
QUESTION 6
In February 2002, a piece of ice sheet biger than the state of Rhode island disintegrated in 30 days. This ice sheet
- is called the Ross ice sheet and is in antarctica.
- is called the Ross ice sheet and is located in Greenland.
- is called the Larsen B ice sheet and is located in Greenland.
- is called the Larsen B ice sheet and is located in Antarctica.
QUESTION 7
The ice sheets in Greenland melt slightly during the summer months. This water collects in huge open lakes which eventually drain through Moulins. Moulins are
- trenches along the surface of the glacier which direct the water towards the ocean.
- huge water falls which allow the water to fall thousands of feet towards the bed rock underlying the glacier.
- are huge open collecting pools which allow the water to slowly evaporate.
- are pumps which pump the water uphill to huge tanks which provide water for the people of Greenland.
QUESTION 8
Before it burns the fuel and air mixture, the piston and cylinder of an automobile engine compress that mixture to high density. During this compression, the temperature of the mixture rises because
- the piston does work on the mixture during the compression process.
- friction between the piston and cylinder heats the mixture.
- high density gases are hotter than low density gases.
- high pressure gases are hotter than low pressure gases.
QUESTION 9
Cars that have trouble with "knocking" may require premium gasoline to run smoothly. The characteristic of premium gasoline that suppresses "knocking" is that premium gasoline is relatively
- hard to ignite.
- slippery and acts as a better lubricant.
- viscous and flows without turbulence.
- easy to ignite.
QUESTION 10
You realize that while your system will work pretty well when it is 30F outside, if it gets below zero there is no way the heat pump can heat the room by itself. Moreover, if the temperature outside gets well above 100F there is no way for the heat pump to cool the room. Someone mentions to you that if you dig into the ground below the frost line (~3 feet down in Cincinnati) the temperature of the earth is a nearly constant 55F! You read about geothermal systems (see https://www.consumerenergycenter.org/home/heating_cooling/geothermal.html) which circulate a fluid through a long piping system underground. The heat pump now exchanges heat with the 55F ground both in winter and summer! During the winter, the heat pump pumps heat from the ground at 55F (rather than the 0F outside) to the inside room. This is MUCH more efficient than before because:
- An air conditioner is most efficient (burns the least electricity for a given heat transfer) for a small difference between the inside and outside temperatures.
- An air conditioner is most efficient (burns the least electricity for a given heat transfer) for a large difference between the inside and outside temperatures.
- You like the indoor temperature at 55F! You are only paying to circulate the fluid between the inside of the room and the ground.
- There is an inexhaustible store of heat in the ground and one needs only transfer it to the inside room to keep it warm.