PrepGo

AP Environmental Science Practice Quiz: Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 9 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following best describes a key characteristic of a nonrenewable energy source?

All Questions (9)

Which of the following best describes a key characteristic of a nonrenewable energy source?

A) It can be replenished at or near the rate of consumption.

B) It is naturally replenished within a human lifespan.

C) It can be reused multiple times without being depleted.

D) It exists in a fixed amount and cannot be easily replaced.

Correct Answer: D

According to the provided text, 'Nonrenewable energy sources are those that exist in a fixed amount and involve energy transformation that cannot be easily replaced.' This is a defining characteristic.

According to the provided definitions, what is the primary factor that classifies an energy source as renewable?

A) The total amount of energy it contains.

B) The efficiency of its energy transformation.

C) The ability to be replenished at a rate similar to its use.

D) The fact that it exists in a fixed amount.

Correct Answer: C

The text states that renewable energy sources 'can be replenished naturally, at or near the rate of consumption,' making the rate of replenishment the key classifying factor.

An energy source is discovered that is consumed by humans. Scientists determine that the natural process which creates this source is significantly slower than the rate at which it is being used. How would this source be classified?

A) Renewable, because it is replenished naturally.

B) Nonrenewable, because its replenishment rate is not at or near the rate of consumption.

C) Renewable, because it can be reused once it is formed.

D) Nonrenewable, simply because it involves an energy transformation.

Correct Answer: B

For a source to be renewable, it must be replenished 'at or near the rate of consumption.' Since the replenishment is much slower than consumption, it functions as a nonrenewable resource that cannot be easily replaced on a human timescale.

Which of the following statements accurately identifies a difference between nonrenewable and renewable energy sources based on the text?

A) Only nonrenewable sources involve energy transformation.

B) Renewable sources can be replenished, while nonrenewable sources exist in a fixed amount.

C) Nonrenewable sources are always solids, while renewable sources are always gases or liquids.

D) Renewable sources are consumed, while nonrenewable sources are not.

Correct Answer: B

The core difference highlighted in the text is that nonrenewable sources 'exist in a fixed amount' and renewable sources 'can be replenished naturally.'

All of the following are characteristics of renewable energy sources as described in the text EXCEPT:

A) They can be replenished naturally.

B) They can be reused.

C) They exist in a fixed, finite amount.

D) Their replenishment can occur at or near the rate of consumption.

Correct Answer: C

The characteristic of existing in a 'fixed amount' is explicitly used to define nonrenewable energy sources, not renewable ones.

The phrase 'at or near the rate of consumption' is a critical qualifier for which type of energy source?

A) Nonrenewable sources, because it defines their limit.

B) Both source types, as it relates to sustainability.

C) Renewable sources, because it distinguishes them from sources that replenish too slowly.

D) Neither source type, as it is an economic term, not a scientific one.

Correct Answer: C

The text specifically uses this phrase to define renewable energy sources: 'those that can be replenished naturally, at or near the rate of consumption.' This is what makes their use sustainable.

If a resource is naturally replenished but its rate of consumption far exceeds its rate of replenishment, it would behave like a nonrenewable resource because:

A) its chemical structure changes with overuse.

B) it no longer involves an energy transformation.

C) it cannot be easily replaced on a practical human timescale.

D) it is no longer considered a natural resource.

Correct Answer: C

The essence of a nonrenewable resource is that it 'cannot be easily replaced.' When consumption outpaces natural replenishment, the resource is depleted, and for all practical purposes, it cannot be easily replaced, thus exhibiting the key trait of a nonrenewable resource.

A resource that can be reused and is replenished naturally is best described as:

A) A nonrenewable energy source.

B) An energy source in a fixed amount.

C) A renewable energy source.

D) An energy source with an irreversible transformation.

Correct Answer: C

The provided text defines renewable energy sources as 'those that can be replenished naturally, at or near the rate of consumption, and reused.'

The concept that an energy source 'cannot be easily replaced' is a direct consequence of it:

A) being able to be reused.

B) existing in a fixed amount.

C) being replenished naturally.

D) having a replenishment rate equal to its consumption rate.

Correct Answer: B

The text links the two key ideas for nonrenewable resources: they 'exist in a fixed amount' and their transformation 'cannot be easily replaced.' The fixed amount is the reason they cannot be easily replaced once consumed.