---
title: "AP Environmental Science Unit 6 Practice Test"
description: "A timed AP Environmental Science Unit 6 (Energy Resources & Consumption) practice test in the AP format, drawn from 4,524 multiple-choice questions and 60 FRQs written for the unit. The standard version takes about 70 minutes."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-enviro/unit-test/6"
type: "unit-test"
subject: "AP Environmental Science"
unit: "Unit 6"
---

# AP Environmental Science Unit 6 Practice Test

## Overview

A timed AP Environmental Science Unit 6 (Energy Resources & Consumption) practice test in the AP format, drawn from 4,524 multiple-choice questions and 60 FRQs written for the unit. The standard version takes about 70 minutes.

## Test Format

- 20 Multiple Choice Questions (23 minutes)
- 1 FRQ – FRQ 1 – Design an Investigation (23 minutes)
- 1 FRQ – FRQ 2 – Analyze and Interpret Quantitative Data (23 minutes)

## Unit FRQs by Type

- [FRQ 1 – Design an Investigation](/ap-enviro/frqs/design-an-investigation?unit=6): 20 questions
- [FRQ 2 – Analyze and Interpret Quantitative Data](/ap-enviro/frqs/data-analysis?unit=6): 20 questions
- [FRQ 3 – Analyze an Environmental Problem Doing Calculations](/ap-enviro/frqs/calculations?unit=6): 20 questions

## Practice Questions

### Question 1

A study examined deforestation rates in regions where biomass harvesting for fuel is the primary land use. Researchers compared satellite imagery from 2010 and 2020 across 50 forest regions in Southeast Asia, calculating the percentage of forest cover lost per year. They also collected data on the number of biomass power plants operating in each region and the volume of wood harvested annually. Which of the following represents the dependent variable in this study?

- (A) The annual percentage of forest cover lost in each region
- (B) The number of biomass power plants operating in each region
- (C) The satellite imagery collected from 2010 and 2020
- (D) The volume of wood harvested annually in each region

**Answer: (A)** The dependent variable is what researchers measure as a response or outcome. Here, forest cover loss is the measured effect being examined in relation to biomass harvesting intensity. The study design treats biomass harvesting (number of plants, volume harvested) as the independent variable and forest loss as the outcome. Satellite imagery provides the measurement method for quantifying this variable across the 50-region sample.

### Question 2

A developing nation in Southeast Asia (latitude 15°N) has limited capital for energy infrastructure but faces growing electricity demand. The country has coastal regions with consistent trade winds, an interior plateau receiving 5.2 kWh/m²/day of solar radiation, and aging coal plants. Which energy development strategy would most effectively address the nation's energy needs while accounting for its geographic resources?

- (A) Establish wind farms in coastal regions and solar installations on the plateau, using natural gas plants as backup for intermittency
- (B) Develop hydroelectric dams in all river valleys to provide baseload power and eliminate fossil fuel dependence entirely
- (C) Install solar photovoltaic systems across all regions since solar technology has become cheaper per watt than wind or hydroelectric alternatives
- (D) Import electricity from neighboring countries with abundant hydroelectric resources rather than developing domestic renewable capacity

**Answer: (A)** Matching renewable technologies to geographic resource availability—wind where consistent trade winds occur and solar where insolation is high—maximizes energy generation efficiency. This strategy identifies where natural energy resources actually occur and deploys appropriate technology, while natural gas backup ensures reliability during periods when renewables underperform. The approach balances the nation's limited capital by prioritizing high-potential sites rather than spreading investment across unsuitable areas.

### Question 3

A solar installation in Arizona produces electricity during daylight and panels last 25 to 30 years. The sun will emit energy for about 5 billion more years. Why is solar energy classified as renewable despite panel degradation?

- (A) Because the sun continually supplies energy while panels are replaceable technology
- (B) Because panels can be recycled and their materials reused without limit
- (C) Because solar operation emits no greenhouse gases so it is sustainable
- (D) Because improvements in capture technology outpace any decline in solar output

**Answer: (A)** Solar energy is renewable because the sun continually renews the energy supply. Panel degradation affects only the capture technology and requires replacement, not depletion of the energy source.

### Question 4

Natural gas forms from organic material buried millions of years ago. Global consumption is about 4 trillion cubic meters per year while geological formation is less than 1 cubic meter per year. Which choice best explains why this consumption-to-formation ratio classifies natural gas as nonrenewable?

- (A) Consumption far exceeds formation, so reserves cannot be replenished within human timescales.
- (B) Limited geographic distribution does not determine renewability because regeneration rate matters.
- (C) Carbon dioxide emissions do not determine renewability because formation rate matters.
- (D) Processing and transport do not determine renewability because regeneration rate does.

**Answer: (A)** Consumption vastly outpaces geological formation, so available reserves will be depleted faster than they can form. Natural gas requires millions of years to form, making human-scale replacement impossible.

### Question 5

A Danish wind farm produced steady output for 20 years despite daily and seasonal variability. Regional winds arise from persistent atmospheric circulation and temperature differences. Why is wind energy classified as renewable despite short-term variability?

- (A) Wind is renewable because atmospheric circulation renews its kinetic energy.
- (B) Turbines do not consume air but that fact does not define renewability.
- (C) Forecasting ability does not determine whether a resource is renewable.
- (D) Wind requires no fuel extraction but that alone does not make it renewable.

**Answer: (A)** Atmospheric circulation continually creates usable wind kinetic energy. Short-term daily and seasonal changes do not alter that the energy is naturally replenished over time.

### Question 6

Uranium-235 for nuclear power comes from ore formed billions of years ago. At current consumption known reserves will last about 90 to 130 years and are not replenished on human timescales. Which best explains why nuclear energy is classified as nonrenewable?

- (A) Uranium is finite and renews only over geological timescales
- (B) Extraction difficulty does not determine if a resource is renewable
- (C) Waste longevity affects management but not the resource's renewability
- (D) Fission can be repeated but the limiting factor is uranium supply

**Answer: (A)** Uranium exists in limited amounts and forms only over geological timescales. Regeneration is far slower than human consumption, so uranium fuel is nonrenewable.

### Question 7

A renewable energy engineer presents research findings: 'Solar photovoltaic installations in the southwestern United States receive an average of 6 kilowatt-hours per square meter daily, compared to 3.5 kilowatt-hours per square meter in the Pacific Northwest. This geographic variation in solar resource availability means that solar energy potential differs substantially across regions. However, the fundamental advantage of solar energy remains constant regardless of location: unlike fossil fuel reserves that deplete with extraction, solar radiation continuously replenishes at Earth's surface as long as the sun remains active. This renewable characteristic makes solar viable for long-term energy production in any region, even those with lower average insolation, provided that installation density and storage capacity are appropriately scaled.'

- (A) Solar energy is renewable because radiation continuously replenishes regardless of extraction.
- (B) The southwestern United States receives more solar radiation than the Pacific Northwest.
- (C) Solar installations must be scaled appropriately to match regional insolation levels.
- (D) Solar radiation averages 6 kilowatt-hours per square meter daily in the southwestern United States.

**Answer: (A)** Identifying this claim requires recognizing that the author's main argument concerns the renewable nature of solar energy—its capacity for continuous replenishment—rather than the geographic variations in solar potential. The passage uses regional insolation differences as context but argues that the defining characteristic distinguishing solar from fossil fuels is its renewable, non-depleting nature.

### Question 8

A geologist says unconventional extraction extends proven reserves by about 40 years but cannot create new oil. Which claim best expresses the author's main point?

- (A) Unconventional extraction postpones depletion but cannot make petroleum renewable.
- (B) Proven reserve estimates rose by about forty years due to unconventional sources.
- (C) Petroleum formed over millions of years through slow geological processes.
- (D) Extraction technologies increase the proportion of recoverable oil in existing deposits.

**Answer: (A)** The author contends that technological advances only delay depletion and do not make oil renewable. The testimony cites reserve extensions while emphasizing geological limits prevent creating new petroleum.

### Question 9

An environmental economist compares energy transition costs. Renewables require higher upfront capital but run 25 to 40 years with minimal fuel costs. Fossil plants need lower initial capital but incur ongoing fuel extraction and transport costs. Over a 30-year lifecycle the economist concludes renewables are more economical in most regions. Which claim does the author make?

- (A) Renewables cost less over 30 years because they avoid fuel costs.
- (B) Renewable installations typically last 25 to 40 years in practice.
- (C) Fossil fuel plants require lower initial capital than renewables.
- (D) The author denies renewables are merely an environmental preference.

**Answer: (A)** The author attributes renewables' long-term cost advantage to eliminating ongoing fuel expenses. Despite higher upfront capital, avoided fuel costs make renewables cheaper over a 30-year lifecycle.

### Question 10

A nation has proven coal reserves of 250 billion metric tons and consumes 8 billion metric tons annually. Which calculation method would determine how many years of coal supply remain at current consumption rates?

- (A) Divide total proven reserves by annual consumption rate
- (B) Multiply total proven reserves by annual consumption rate
- (C) Divide annual consumption rate by total proven reserves
- (D) Divide total proven reserves by annual consumption rate to determine energy content in joules

**Answer: (A)** Determining supply lifetime requires dividing the finite resource amount by the rate of depletion. This calculation (250 ÷ 8 = 31.25 years) directly tests the nonrenewable resource concept—coal exists in a fixed amount that cannot be replaced in a human lifetime. The method identifies when a nonrenewable resource will be exhausted at current usage patterns.

## Review the Unit

- [6.1 Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources](/ap-enviro/unit-6/renewable-nonrenewable-resources/study-guide/WLwymwWnydiu1fqTWjNE)
- [6.2 Global Energy Consumption](/ap-enviro/unit-6/global-energy-consumption/study-guide/OfQhtthGMOLHJHFwC3zo)
- [6.3 Fuel Types and Uses](/ap-enviro/unit-6/fuel-types-uses/study-guide/gSCAb3LVL5rkRp2HrqFp)
- [6.4 Distribution of Natural Resources](/ap-enviro/unit-6/distribution-natural-resources/study-guide/P940kT02r4y2mwxbhPRT)
- [6.5 Fossil Fuels](/ap-enviro/unit-6/fossil-fuels/study-guide/ZPox55JnXjW1F0PkOaXR)
- [6.6 Nuclear Power](/ap-enviro/unit-6/nuclear-power/study-guide/6cp8hJAGRndDsFGLiCIq)
- [6.7 Energy from Biomass](/ap-enviro/unit-6/energy-biomass/study-guide/ZyuqXWNPHjaTp8XX8Pbv)
- [6.8 Solar Energy](/ap-enviro/unit-6/solar-energy/study-guide/QKqBTON96elPQUDDEkM7)
- [6.9 Hydroelectric Power](/ap-enviro/unit-6/hydroelectric-power/study-guide/r95V6RauJ8xe1P3Os36x)
- [6.10 Geothermal Energy](/ap-enviro/unit-6/geothermal-energy/study-guide/W5yUG00rPvSn16OV0ioU)
- [6.11 Hydrogen Fuel Cell](/ap-enviro/unit-6/hydrogen-fuel-cell/study-guide/VBHYpOxkIwXQuPkI6px8)
- [6.12 Wind Energy](/ap-enviro/unit-6/wind-energy/study-guide/gNBzJpm1K0wINCGx9cM6)
- [6.13 Energy Conservation](/ap-enviro/unit-6/energy-conservation/study-guide/LKJIV4jAw2k8hnRcYob9)

## Other Unit Tests

- [Unit 1: The Living World: Ecosystems](/ap-enviro/unit-test/1)
- [Unit 2: The Living World: Biodiversity](/ap-enviro/unit-test/2)
- [Unit 3: Populations](/ap-enviro/unit-test/3)
- [Unit 4: Earth Systems & Resources](/ap-enviro/unit-test/4)
- [Unit 5: Land & Water Use](/ap-enviro/unit-test/5)
- [Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution](/ap-enviro/unit-test/7)
- [Unit 8: Aquatic & Terrestrial Pollution](/ap-enviro/unit-test/8)
- [Unit 9: Global Change](/ap-enviro/unit-test/9)

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