Environmental and Systems Engineering Flashcards
6 cards from real ME or MEng Master of Engineering practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Environmental and Systems Engineering flashcards as text
The Clean Air Act in the United States regulates six 'criteria air pollutants.' Which of the following is NOT one of them?
Answer: Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
CO₂ is not a criteria air pollutant under the Clean Air Act; the six criteria pollutants are O₃, PM, CO, NO₂, SO₂, and Pb.
In environmental impact assessment, a 'negative feedback loop' in a system:
Answer: Counteracts disturbances and stabilizes the system
Negative feedback opposes change, returning a system toward its equilibrium state, providing self-regulation and stability.
The primary purpose of a secondary wastewater treatment process is to:
Answer: Biologically remove dissolved organic matter using microorganisms
Secondary treatment (activated sludge, trickling filters) uses biological processes to degrade dissolved and suspended organic matter after primary settling.
Systems thinking in engineering design emphasizes:
Answer: Understanding interactions and emergent behavior of components within the whole system
Systems thinking recognizes that system behavior emerges from interactions between components and cannot be understood by analyzing parts in isolation.
A P-diagram (Parameter Diagram) in robust engineering design identifies:
Answer: Signal, noise, control, and response parameters of a system
A P-diagram maps the system transformation from signal (input) to response (output), identifying control factors, noise factors, and ideal function.
The Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement both address which environmental issue?
Answer: Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and climate change
Both international treaties target the reduction of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions to limit global temperature rise and mitigate climate change impacts.