ANS - American Nuclear Society
01/11/2023 | News release | Distributed by Public on 01/11/2023 07:17
The 2023 Nuclear News Energy Quiz
Are you an energy genius? It's hard to tell whether or not Americans are really aware of the energy that controls our lives, so the following quiz should be revealing. Answers are given at the end.
Scoring: Zero to five correct answers out of the 23 questions means you may need to read up on energy so you're not at the mercy of others. A score of 6 to 10 correct answers is a good passing grade. Answer 11 to 15 correctly, and you're really energy literate. Getting 16 to 19 correct means you should be advising Congress. Twenty or more right answers suggests you're Spock reincarnated.
Of the world's projected carbon emissions of about 36 billion metric tons, what country/countries will emit the greatest share in 2023?
IndiaEuropean Union
United States
China
Correct! China, with about 12 billion metric tons, followed by the U.S. with about 4.6 billion metric tons and India with about 2.9 billion metric tons. The countries of the EU, together, will emit about 2.7 billion metric tons.
Incorrect! The correct answer is China, with about 12 billion metric tons, followed by the U.S. with about 4.6 billion metric tons and India with about 2.9 billion metric tons. The countries of the EU, together, will emit about 2.7 billion metric tons.
What energy source can produce 656 billion kilowatt-hours with the least amount of steel?
solarwind
natural gas
hydroelectric
nuclear
coal
Correct! Natural gas, with 13,000 metric tons of steel. Hydro takes 32,000 metric tons; nuclear, 45,000 metric tons; coal, 234,000 metric tons; solar, 680,000 metric tons; and wind, a whopping 1,476,000 metric tons.
Incorrect! The correct answer is natural gas, with 13,000 metric tons of steel. Hydro takes 32,000 metric tons; nuclear, 45,000 metric tons; coal, 234,000 metric tons; solar, 680,000 metric tons; and wind, a whopping 1,476,000 metric tons.
Which source will produce the most energy in America in 2023?
windnatural gas
hydroelectric
oil
nuclear
coal
Correct! Oil (energy, not electricity-trick question!).
Incorrect! The correct answer is oil (energy, not electricity-trick question!).
Arguably tied with the 1967 Clean Air Act, which piece of legislation in history has saved the most lives?
the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Actthe 1966 Highway Safety Act
the 2007 Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act
the 1972 Clean Water Act (actually an amended version of the 1948 Federal Water Pollution Control Act)
Correct! The 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, and its 1940 amendment, established the 40-hour workweek, minimum wage, and time-and-a-half pay and prohibited child labor.
Incorrect! The correct answer is the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act, and its 1940 amendment, established the 40-hour workweek, minimum wage, and time-and-a-half pay and prohibited child labor.
What percentage of America's electricity will be produced from wind in 2023?
8%10%
13%
15%
Correct! 10%, or about 400 billion kilowatt-hours.
Incorrect! The correct answer is 10%, or about 400 billion kilowatt-hours.
What energy source has the biggest deathprint (kills the most people per kilowatt-hour produced)?
nuclearnatural gas
coal
wind
Correct! Coal.
Incorrect! The correct answer is coal.
What energy source has the smallest deathprint (kills the fewest people per kilowatt-hour produced)?
nuclearnatural gas
coal
wind
Correct! Nuclear.
Incorrect! The correct answer is nuclear.
Where will the first commercial pebble bed reactor be built?
Washington StateRussia
China
Oregon
Correct! China. While there are plans to build an X-energy pebble bed reactor in Washington state, China recently built a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor pebble bed module (HTR-PM) with two reactors, which were connected to the grid on December 20, 2021.
Incorrect! The correct answer is China. While there are plans to build an X-energy pebble bed reactor in Washington state, China recently built a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor pebble bed module (HTR-PM) with two reactors, which were connected to the grid on December 20, 2021.
When were the uranium atoms created that are used in all nuclear reactors today?
1.7 billion years ago4.5 billion years ago
6.3 billion years ago
13.8 billion years ago
Correct! 6.3 billion years ago.
Incorrect! The correct answer is 6.3 billion years ago.
Which country will build the most nuclear power plants in 2023?
RussiaSouth Korea
China
United States
Correct! China. The country's latest five-year plan calls for having 180 operating large nuclear plants by 2035.
Incorrect! The correct answer is China. The country's latest five-year plan calls for having 180 operating large nuclear plants by 2035.
Where would you build new wind farms to produce the most power per turbine?
Washington StateTornado Alley
Georgia
Southeast Texas
Correct! Tornado Alley. In this area that stretches from north-central Texas to North Dakota, the capacity factor for wind is over 0.45. By comparison, in Washington state the capacity factor for wind is about 0.27.
Incorrect! The correct answer is Tornado Alley. In this area that stretches from north-central Texas to North Dakota, the capacity factor for wind is over 0.45. By comparison, in Washington state the capacity factor for wind is about 0.27.
Which country has the most fossil fuel in the ground?
Saudi ArabiaRussia
United States
China
Correct! United States.
Incorrect! The correct answer is United States.
Adjusting for the all-in costs of firming (load following), integration with energy storage, transmission requirements, and renewable integration, which energy source is the cheapest for producing electricity? (Remember that taxpayer subsidies do not reduce costs; they just shift costs from the ratepayers to the taxpayers.)
new nuclearnew solar
new gas
existing hydro
new wind
existing nuclear
Correct! Existing hydro at 2.5¢/kWh. According to recent studies, including one from IHS Markit, the cost for existing nuclear is 4.5¢/kWh, new gas is 5.9¢/kWh, new nuclear is 6.9¢/kWh, new wind (including taxpayer subsidy) is 8.9¢/kWh, and new solar (including taxpayer subsidy) is 9.8¢/kWh.
Incorrect! The correct answer is existing hydro at 2.5¢/kWh. According to recent studies, including one from IHS Markit, the cost for existing nuclear is 4.5¢/kWh, new gas is 5.9¢/kWh, new nuclear is 6.9¢/kWh, new wind (including taxpayer subsidy) is 8.9¢/kWh, and new solar (including taxpayer subsidy) is 9.8¢/kWh.
Which type of new power plants built in 2023 will collectively generate the most power?
coalnatural gas
wind
solar
Correct! Natural gas.
Incorrect! The correct answer is natural gas.
Which activity subjects someone to the most radiation?
standing next to a building that houses a nuclear reactorflying across country ten times a year
eating a 6-oz. bag of potato chips every day
living in Ramsar, Iran
Correct! Living in Ramsar, Iran.
Incorrect! The correct answer is living in Ramsar, Iran.
Which activity subjects someone to the least radiation?
standing next to a building that houses a nuclear reactorflying across country ten times a year
eating a 6-oz. bag of potato chips every day
living in Ramsar, Iran
Correct! Standing next to a nuclear reactor.
Incorrect! The correct answer is standing next to a nuclear reactor.
There are over 80,000 dams along rivers in the United States. How many are equipped to produce power?
1%3%
10%
15%
Correct! 3%. However, many more could be retrofitted for power (see map, above), which would double our hydro production without building a single new dam.
Incorrect! The correct answer is 3%. However, many more could be retrofitted for power (see map, above), which would double our hydro production without building a single new dam.
When has the average price of energy plus food been the cheapest (normalized to today's GDP)?
prehistoric times1630
1850
1955
2021
Correct! 2021. Energy and food have never been cheaper than they have been recently, as a proportion of our average income.
Incorrect! The correct answer is 2021. Energy and food have never been cheaper than they have been recently, as a proportion of our average income.
How many megawatts of installed wind are needed to equal the output of one 1,000-MW nuclear plant over its life? (Use a capacity factor of 0.35 for wind and 0.935 for nuclear, and a lifespan of 30 years for wind and 80 years for nuclear)
3,000 MW5,000 MW
7,100 MW
11,500 MW
Correct! C, 7,100 MW of wind. The capacity factor is the annual average percentage of the maximum output possible; installed capacity × capacity factor × 8,766 hr/yr = power produced per year.
Incorrect! The correct answer is 7,100 MW of wind. The capacity factor is the annual average percentage of the maximum output possible; installed capacity × capacity factor × 8,766 hr/yr = power produced per year.
According to a recent UN Economic Commission for Europe report, which energy source has the lowest life-cycle carbon footprint?
windnuclear
hydro
solar
Correct! Nuclear, with 6 tons of CO2 equivalent per gigawatt-hour. Wind is 11, hydro is 24, and solar is 48. In the UN Economic Commission for Europe report, nuclear also had lower impacts on land occupation, carcinogenic effects, consumption of minerals and metals, and freshwater eutrophication.
Incorrect! The correct answer is nuclear, with 6 tons of CO2 equivalent per gigawatt-hour. Wind is 11, hydro is 24, and solar is 48. In the UN Economic Commission for Europe report, nuclear also had lower impacts on land occupation, carcinogenic effects, consumption of minerals and metals, and freshwater eutrophication.
What kills the least number of people each year?
crossing the streetcommercial nuclear waste
food poisoning
being a dietitian
Correct! Nuclear waste. No one in history has ever died from nuclear waste in dry cask or in fuel pool storage, but about 5,000 people a year die crossing the street, and the numbers are similar for food poisoning. However, only a few dietitians die each year in their job.
Incorrect! The correct answer is nuclear waste. No one in history has ever died from nuclear waste in dry cask or in fuel pool storage, but about 5,000 people a year die crossing the street, and the numbers are similar for food poisoning. However, only a few dietitians die each year in their job.
Which country is expected to match or exceed the $288 million that has been raised to develop 16 small modular reactors around the country to reach zero-carbon electricity by 2035?
United KingdomBrazil
United States
China
Russia
Canada
Correct! United Kingdom, led by Rolls Royce.
Incorrect! The correct answer is United Kingdom, led by Rolls Royce.
What is the single largest power-producing physiographic feature in the world?
Mediterranean SeaYangtze River
Earth's atmosphere
heated parts of Earth's crust
Correct! Yangtze River. In 2023, the nearly 100,000 megawatts of hydroelectric along its length will generate over 500 billion kilowatt-hours, barring serious drought-about 4% of the world's total electricity production. Only eight countries in the world produce more energy than this single river.
Incorrect! The correct answer is Yangtze River. In 2023, the nearly 100,000 megawatts of hydroelectric along its length will generate over 500 billion kilowatt-hours, barring serious drought-about 4% of the world's total electricity production. Only eight countries in the world produce more energy than this single river.
For more insight, there are many great energy quizzes online (just search for "energy quiz").
Happy and healthy 2023, everyone!
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