View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How much power can a healthy person produce by pedaling a bicycle?

2. How much more energy is typically released by a nuclear chain reaction than an equal weight of TNT?

3. What was the efficiency of the best solar cells at the time the book was written?

4. When did North Korea have a nuclear weapon test in Chapter 1?

5. How many tons of gasoline mixed with air and detonated from a parachute, release the energy of over 100 tons of TNT?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the Davy Crockett weapon?

2. What is radioactivity and radiation?

3. What must alcohol be made from the U.S. and how is it determined that it has been made properly?

4. Who was Richard Reid, and what did he do?

5. How have gasoline and oil been used in the past?

6. Why does the author believe solar power is not practical for automobiles?

7. How might a solar plane be useful for surveillance?

8. What are some things that are and are not radioactive?

9. What does the author say about the ineptness of suicide bombers?

10. In Chapter 7, was the United States running out of fossil fuels?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A neutron bomb is a type of enhanced radiation weapon. What is the difference between a neutron bomb and a hydrogen bomb? What is the difference between the type of damage created by a neutron bomb and a hydrogen bomb? What does the neutron bomb reveal about a weapons paradox?

Essay Topic 2

Propaganda is using misinformation to influence the opinion of a person or group. What types of propaganda are discussed in the book? Why are physicists not likely to use propaganda? Why might scientists believe propaganda will help present their case, especially regarding global warming?

Essay Topic 3

Many people fear that the next terrorist attack will be nuclear. Who might use nuclear weapons in an attack on the U.S.? Why would rogue countries be more likely to use nuclear weapons than terrorists?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,017 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample