AP Environmental Science — Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption

What AP Environmental Science Unit 6 covers

The College Board Course and Exam Description breaks Unit 6 into 11 topics:

1. 6.1 Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources
2. 6.2 Global Energy Consumption
3. 6.3 Fuel Types and Uses
4. 6.4 Nuclear Power
5. 6.5 Energy from Biomass
6. 6.6 Hydroelectric Power
7. 6.7 Solar Energy
8. 6.8 Geothermal Energy
9. 6.9 Hydrogen Fuel Cell
10. 6.10 Wind Energy
11. 6.11 Energy Conservation

AP Environmental Science Unit 6 practice questions

• Clean-burning nuclear fuel produces almost no CO₂ — yet it's still classified as nonrenewable. If pollution isn't the criterion, what actually makes a source 'nonrenewable'?

  Its fixed supply can't refill in time. Uranium runs out regardless of how cleanly it burns; replenishment rate is the real test.

• Solar power vs. coal: which is renewable and why?

  Solar is renewable and replenished fast; coal is not. Coal forms over millions of years; solar renews at the rate we use it.

• Why is energy consumption per capita higher in developed countries than in developing countries?

  Developed countries have more industry, infrastructure, and appliances. All of these, plus vehicles, demand more energy per person.

• What are the most widely used sources of energy globally?

  Fossil fuels: oil, coal, and gas. They supply the majority of global energy consumption.

• A country rapidly industrializes and builds new manufacturing sectors. What happens to its fossil fuel consumption?

  Fossil fuel consumption rises as energy demand grows with development. Fossil fuels supply the dense, reliable energy industry needs.

• Rank the three types of coal — lignite, bituminous, and anthracite — from least to most energy content.

  Lignite (least) → bituminous → anthracite (most). Greater heat, pressure, and depth of burial produce coal with higher carbon content and energy density.

• Which fossil fuel is considered the 'cleanest,' and what is its primary chemical component?

  Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel. It is composed mostly of methane (CH₄).

• What is cogeneration, and why is it considered efficient?

  Using one fuel source to generate both heat and electricity at once. It captures energy normally wasted as heat, raising efficiency.

+ 22 more AP Environmental Science cards in the app.

Key terms in Unit 6

These 12 terms show up in the Unit 6 cards. Each one links to its definition in the AP Environmental Science key-term reference.

• Active solar
• Cogeneration
• Energy conservation
• Energy return on energy investment
• Fossil fuels
• Geothermal energy
• Hydroelectric power
• Hydrogen fuel cell
• Nuclear fission
• Passive solar
• Renewable energy
• Thermal pollution