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

Short Answer Questions

1. How many satellites needed to be in view for a GPS system to work on a plane?

2. How long does the radioactivity of iodine-131 last?

3. Exposure to what level of rem will incapacitate you within hours?

4. A ton of TNT is equal to the energy of how many food calories?

5. How much of the radioactivity in the Chernobyl reactor was possible released into the atmosphere?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. Where is most oil found underground, and how can it be extracted?

7. What was the Davy Crockett weapon?

8. How long will the U.S. be able to use coal?

9. How does food compare in energy to gasoline and to TNT?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The 9/11 attacks were an example of low-tech terrorism. What is the difference between low-tech and high-tech terrorism? Why might terrorists prefer low-tech terrorism?

Essay Topic 2

In 1979, a nuclear reactor ran out of control and a third of its uranium fuel melted. What happened during the incident at Three Mile Island? How much radiation was released by the accident? How was the perception of the accident worse than its reality?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 935 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample