Energy Facts Quiz for Kids: How Much Do You Know About Energy?

Written by andrei

Quizzes Tests | October 3, 2024

An 8 Billion Trees illustration of a redhead girl in front of examples of energy, including a factory and wind turbines, showing kid's knowledge of energy use.

You may not have a lot of energy in the morning or have plenty after some sugary ice cream, but what do you know about the energy that we use to power our electronics & other things in our lives?

Take this energy facts quiz and find out!

Question 1) What is the original source of energy?

Sun
Wind
Water
Soil
  • Sunlight contains a lot of energy. When it hits the Earth, plants capture it through a process called photosynthesis. When we or other animals (some of which humans eat as well) eat these plants, the sun’s energy is transferred to us and the animals. Energy from the sun is also in the wood that some people transform into fuel, as well as in fossil fuels like petroleum.1The sun also heats the atmosphere and makes wind blow, which powers wind turbines.1 All in all, we mostly keep on recycling the energy the sun sends to our planet!

Question 2) What is Renewable Energy?

Energy from petroleum
Energy from naturally replenishing sources such as the sun and wind
Energy from coal
Energy from fossil fuels
  • Unlike fossil fuels – like petroleum and coal, which are examples of non-renewable energy sources – renewable energy is considered “clean”: it does not release gases that heat (greenhouse gases) and pollute the Earth. The use of renewable energy sources, especially the sun and wind, is growing more popular in the United States.2 

Question 3) Which is a main source of renewable energy?

Solar
Geothermal
Hydropwer
All of the above
  • Energy from the sun (solar), from the heat within the planet (geothermal), and from water (hydropower) are all examples of energy that is abundant and quickly replenishing in nature. Other renewable sources include the wind, nuclear energy, and biomass (organic matter from animals and plants).2 

Question 4) Which of the following is not a source of renewable energy?Wind turbines on a hill near Sequoia National Park in California, producing renewable energy against a blue sky with an 8 Billion Trees watermark.

Sun
Wind
Water
Petrol
  • Petrol (or gas) comes from petroleum, which is a fossil fuel – like coal and natural gas. Because fossil fuels take millions of years to form, and humans use a lot of these fuels in a short period, they are considered nonrenewable energy sources.3 

 

Question 5) Which of the following uses the most electricity in a typical American home?

Cooking
Home electronics
Lighting
Space heating and cooling
  • On average, more than half – more precisely 51%  – of the energy used in an American household is used to either make rooms warmer (heating) or cooler (air-conditioning).4

Question 6) How much electricity does a American home use in a year?

10,649 kilowatt hours
5,500 kilowatt hours
8,900 kilowatt hours
6, 650 kilowatt hours
  • On average, households in the United States use 10,649 kWh each year.5 Houses in Louisiana consume more electricity (14,787 kWh) than houses in any other state, and the ones in Hawaii consume the least electricity (6,296 kWh).5

Question 7) Which type of fuel produces the biggest amount of energy?

Coal
Natural Gas
Petroleum
Biodiesel
  • The amount of energy contained in one petroleum barrel (that is, 42 U.S. gallons or 159 liters) is equivalent to 1,700 kWh.6

Question 8) Gasoline is from which fossil fuel?

Propane
Petroleum
Coal
Diesel
  • Gasoline is produced when crude oil (the liquid part of petroleum) is broken into many different products. Many cars use gasoline to move. Because of that, gasoline is one of the petroleum products humans use the most.7 

Question 9) Which renewable energy source provides the most energy to the U.S.?

Biomass
Geothermal
Solar
Hydropower
  • Hydropower is the energy flowing water produces. In 2020, flowing water generated 37% of electricity produced by renewable sources in the United States.8 The country is the third largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world.9

 

Question 10) What uses more energy? Using our laptops or making coffee from a coffee maker?

Using the laptop
Using the coffeemaker
Both of these use the same
  • They both require basically the same amount of energy! Using your laptop for six hours is equal to consuming 270 watt-hours.10 Using a typical coffee maker for 15 minutes results in using 225 watt-hours of energy.10

Take Another Quiz:

References

1The National Academies presents: What You Need to Know About Energy. (n.d.). Retrieved July 29, 2021, from http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/the-sun/ 

2Renewable energy explained – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2021, July 26). Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/renewable-sources/ 

3Better Planet Education. Renewable Energy – Fossil fuels – non-renewable. (2024). Retrieved July 29, 2021, from    <https://betterplaneteducation.org.uk/factsheets/renewable-energy-fossil-fuels-non-renewable>

4Use of energy in homes – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2021, July 26). Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/homes.php

5Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2021, July 26). Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php

6U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2021, July 26). Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.eia.gov/kids/games-and-activities/quiz/%27 

7Gasoline – Energy Education. (2020, April 28). Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Gasoline

8Hydropower explained – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (2021, July 26). Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/hydropower/

9USA. (n.d.). Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://www.hydropower.org/country-profiles/usa 

10Energy Literacy Quiz. (n.d.). Retrieved July 29, 2021, from https://cleanet.org/clean/literacy/energyquiz.html