ME or MEng Master of Engineering Environmental and Systems Engineering 2

Question 1

The Clean Air Act in the United States regulates six 'criteria air pollutants.' Which of the following is NOT one of them?

Accepted Answer

Carbon dioxide (CO₂)

Answer

Ground-level ozone

Answer

Sulfur dioxide (SO₂)

Answer

Lead (Pb)

Question 2

In environmental impact assessment, a 'negative feedback loop' in a system:

Accepted Answer

Counteracts disturbances and stabilizes the system

Answer

Amplifies disturbances, causing runaway change

Answer

Has no net effect on system behavior

Answer

Only applies to electrical circuit analysis

Question 3

The primary purpose of a secondary wastewater treatment process is to:

Accepted Answer

Biologically remove dissolved organic matter using microorganisms

Answer

Remove large solids and grit by screening

Answer

Disinfect the effluent with chlorine

Answer

Remove heavy metals by chemical precipitation

Question 4

Systems thinking in engineering design emphasizes:

Accepted Answer

Understanding interactions and emergent behavior of components within the whole system

Answer

Optimizing each component in isolation for maximum efficiency

Answer

Reducing the number of system components to simplify analysis

Answer

Applying the same solution across all systems regardless of context

Question 5

A P-diagram (Parameter Diagram) in robust engineering design identifies:

Accepted Answer

Signal, noise, control, and response parameters of a system

Answer

Performance vs. cost trade-off curves

Answer

Process flow and decision points in manufacturing

Answer

Pressure-temperature phase relationships

Question 6

The Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement both address which environmental issue?

Accepted Answer

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and climate change

Answer

Stratospheric ozone depletion

Answer

Ocean acidification from industrial discharge

Answer

Transboundary acid rain from sulfur emissions