Question 1

What role does the BIOS play?
A)The BIOS loads the operating system.
B)The BIOS mediates between the operating system and the computer.
C)The BIOS mediates between the operating system and the user.
D)The BIOS is a backup in case the operating system fails.

Accepted Answer

The basic input/output system (BIOS) loads the operating system. It turns on the computer's hardware and then runs a piece of code called the boot sector, which boots the operating system.

Question 2

What is the difference between an algorithm and a protocol?
A)Algorithms say what needs to be done; protocols also say who is responsible for doing it.
B)Protocols do not necessarily solve problems.
C)Protocols always involve more than one actor.
D)Protocols are specifically used in software engineering.

Accepted Answer

A protocol determines not only what needs to happen but also who is responsible for making it happen. For example, a recipe might tell you how to bake a cake, but a protocol also determines who is responsible for buying the ingredients, mixing the batter and so forth.

Question 3

What computer network is generally considered to be the origin of the Internet?
A)ARPANET
B)FTP
C)HTTP
D)The World Wide Web

Accepted Answer

ARPANET is generally considered to be the origin of the Internet. ARPANET was a network created by the US Department of Defense that connected universities and private research facilities that were working on ARPA (Advanced Research Project Agency) related contracts.

Question 4

Which of the following equations is used for evaluating a retaining structure's factor of safety of against overturning (FS_o)? A)FS_o = resisting moment / overturning force B)FS_o = resisting force / overturning force C)FS_o = resisting moment / overturning moment D)FS_o = resisting force/ overturning moment

Accepted Answer

The equation FS_o = resisting moment / overturning moment is used for evaluating a retaining structure's factor of safety with respect to overturning. Typically, a minimum factor of safety of 2.0 to 3.0 is considered necessary for a retaining wall to resist rotating outward around the toe of the wall. FS_o is expressed as follows: FS_o = ?Mr / ?Mo Where ?Mr is the sum of the resisting moments around the toe and ?Mo is the sum of the overturning moments around the toe

Question 5

What is a white-hat hacker?
A)White-hat hackers are security experts who do not break the law.
B)White-hat hackers expose security vulnerabilities so that they can be corrected.
C)White-hat hackers are hackers who work for the government.
D)White-hat hackers are programmers who track down cybercriminals.

Accepted Answer

White-hat hackers expose security vulnerabilities so that they can be fixed. These activities are sometimes, though not necessarily, illegal or controversial. Black-hat hackers exploit security vulnerabilities for personal gain.

Question 6

Where does the term floppy disk come from?
A)The fact that the data can be changed easily
B)The fact that the encoding protocol is considered sloppy by some
C)The fact that the disks used to be bendable
D)The fact that they go between computers, i.e. flip flop

Accepted Answer

Floppy disks used to be quite bendable. Although later incarnations were rigid, the name stuck.

Question 7

Fill in the blank: C++, Java, Visual Basic, and FORTRAN are examples of _________.
A)Computer hardware
B)Programming languages
C)Graphical user interfaces
D)Coffee flavors

Accepted Answer

C++, Java, Visual Basic, and FORTRAN are examples of programming languages. Programming languages are designed to communicate instructions to machines. Instructions are given in the form of programs developed for specific functions and applications.

Question 8

What is Moore's law?
A)Processing speed will double every two years.
B)Memory cost will halve every 18 months.
C)Computer power will triple every five years.
D)Computer access will go up ten percent every year.

Accepted Answer

Moore's Law states that processing power will double every two years. Moore's Law, based on a prediction by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, originally stated that the number of transistors that can be fit on a silicon chip would double every two years, but this is equivalent to processing power. His prediction has held true for the last 50 years.

Question 9

In which of the following file formats can raster data be saved?
A)DB, DAT, DBF, MDB
B)DXF, DWG, WMF, PDF
C)TIFF, JPEG, IMG, BMP
D)XLS, DOC, PPT

Accepted Answer

TIFF, JPEG, IMG, BMP are examples of raster data file formats. Raster images can be edited and saved using a variety of different raster graphic editing software programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office Picture Manager, and Autodesk Sketchbook Pro.

Question 10

Given a right triangle (ABC) with side a = 30.30 ft and hypotenuse c = 36.41 ft, what is the length of the side b?
A)20.19 ft
B)47.37 ft
C)67.56 ft
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

The length of side b is 20.19 ft.
Solution
Use right triangle formula cS1U1P12 S1U1B0= aS1U1P12 S1S1P0+ bS1U1P12S1S1P0
Where a = 30.30 ft
c = 36.41 ft
bS1U1P12 S1S1P0= cS1U1P12 S1S1P0- aS1U1P12 S1S1P0= (36.41 ft)S1U1P12S1S1P0- (30.30 ft)S1U1P12 S1S1P0= 1325.69 ftS1U1P12 S1S1P0 - 918.09 ftS1U1P12 S1S1P0 = 407.60 ftS1U1P12 S1S1P0
b = (407.60 ftS1U1P12 S1S1P0)S1U1P1½S1S1P0 = 20.19 ft

Question 11

What is the value of the given arithmetic expression?323 + 543 x (45.3 + 33.6) / 22 -17
A)2,253.4
B)3,088.8
C)8,891.5
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

The value of the given arithmetic expression is 2,253.4.
Solution
Use the order of operations to solve the expression.
1. Parenthesis: 323 + 543 x (45.3 + 33.6) / 22 -17
= 323 + 543 x 78.9 / 22 -17
2. Multiplication: 323 + 543 x 78.9 / 22 -17
= 323 + 42,842.7 / 22 -17
3. Division: 323 + 42,842.7 / 22 -17
= 323 + 1,947.4 -17
4. Addition: 323 + 1,947.4 -17
= 2,270.4 - 17
5. Subtraction: 2,270.4 - 17
= 2,253.4

Question 12

At what height above the Earth's surface do Global Positioning System satellites orbit?
A)6,360 km
B)20,200 km
C)26,560 km
D)42,300 km

Accepted Answer

Global Positioning System satellites orbit at approximately 20,200 km above the Earth's surface. The mean Earth radius is approximately 6,360 km and the mean distance of a GPS satellite's orbit to the middle of the earth is 25,560 km. Geostationary satellites typically orbit the earth at approximately 42,300 km.

Question 13

What is the most important consideration when developing high quality field notes?
A)Accuracy
B)Integrity
C)Legibility
D)All of the above

Accepted Answer

Accuracy, legibility and integrity are all important considerations when developing high quality field notes.
If the angles, distances and field note entries are not correct, the entire survey was a waste of time. All measurements and survey details must be recorded at the time of observation and should never be altered in order to yield a perfect closing. If the notes cannot be read, they are meaningless. Additionally, survey information is of little value if the notes are not complete and clear.

Question 14

Leveling (in surveying) is used to determine which of the following:
A)The distance at which two points are at equal elevation
B)The angle at which a vertical object is suspended
C)The difference in elevation between points on the Earth's surface
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

In surveying, leveling is used to determine the difference in elevation between points on the Earth's surface. Vertical measurements are made and expressed as elevations referenced to datums. There are three methods used to determine differences in elevation: direct vertical measurement; trigonometric leveling; and differential leveling.

Question 15

What does the term "metadata" mean as related to spatial data?
A)Metadata describes the content, quality, origin and other characteristics of specific pieces of data.
B)Metadata is the process by which data is entered into a database.
C)Metadata is the process by which a GIS user is introduced to georeferenced information.
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

The term "metadata" as related to spatial data is the information that describes the content, quality, origin or other characteristics of specific pieces of data.
Metadata describes and documents data, providing GIS users with the details on how, when, where and by whom the data was collected; the source of the data entered into the GIS; data projection, scale, resolution and/or accuracy; and the reliability standard to which it is measured.

Question 16

The final measurement in the line of tapes is 83 ft. The normal tape tension is 10 lbs. for the 100-ft tape used. What amount of tension should be applied to the spring balance of the end of the tape to yield the proper tension to the 83-ft increment?
A)8)3 lbs.
B)10 lbs.
C)83 lbs.
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

8.3 lbs. of tension should be applied to the 83-ft increment of tape.
Solution
10 lbs. /100 ft = 0.1 lb. /ft
(0.1 lb. /ft)(83 ft) = 8.3 lb.

Question 17

In an area where the Earth's surface is higher than the geoid, which of the following statements is true?
A)The area is most likely below sea level.
B)The area is most likely at one of the poles.
C)The area is probably in a mountainous region or on a high plateau.
D)The geoid was most likely incorrectly calculated.

Accepted Answer

In an area where the Earth's surface is higher than the geoid, the area is probably located in a mountainous region or on a high plateau. As the geoid is the equipotential surface that best fits mean sea level in a least squares sense, an area that is significantly higher than the geoid is probably in a mountainous region.

Question 18

What activity reduces huge amounts of data to smaller sets of meaningful, usable data?
A)Data mining
B)Data silos
C)Data warehousing
D)SQL querying

Accepted Answer

Data mining is the act of reducing huge amounts of data into usable pieces of information. This is mostly done by eliminating data that isn't interesting and looking for patterns in the rest. These patterns, as opposed to the data that underlie the patterns, are often actionable.

Question 19

A year-end audit conducted for an engineering firm provided the following information. What is the firm's approximate facility capital cost of money (FCCM) on a direct labor basis?ItemItem Cost ($)Cost ($) Item Cost ($) Direct LaborDirect Labor 6,234,6686,234,668 Direct Labor 6,234,668 Allowable fringe benefitsAllowable fringe benefits 3,233,8893,233,889 Allowable fringe benefits 3,233,889 Allowable general overheadAllowable general overhead 8,444,4448,444,444 Allowable general overhead 8,444,444 Facility cost of capital (FCCM)Facility cost of capital (FCCM) 190,000 190,000 Facility cost of capital (FCCM) 190,000
A)32.81%
B)16.2%
C)3)0%
D)None of the above

Accepted Answer

The firm's approximate facility capital cost of money (FCCM) on a direct labor basis is 3.0%.
Solution
Determine the ratio of the facilities capital cost to the cost of direct labor.
FCCM rate = FCCM/direct labor cost
= ($190,000)/($6,234,668)
= 0.03 (3.0%)

Question 20

Which of the following are included in the minimum requirements of an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan?
A)Site drawing of existing and proposed conditions
B)Narrative discussion of each erosion and sediment control measure, its purpose, construction sequence, and installation timing
C)Schedule for the inspection and maintenance of temporary and permanent stormwater management, erosion, and sediment control Best Management Practices
D)All of the above

Accepted Answer

All of the above items are included in the minimum requirements of an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan. The purpose of the plan is to control stormwater runoff from site construction and development that results in soil erosion and sedimentation. Local ordinances require plans for construction site runoff control developed under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

Quiz 1: Engineering and Science

What role does the BIOS play?

What is the difference between an algorithm and a protocol?

What computer network is generally considered to be the origin of the Internet?

Which of the following equations is used for evaluating a retaining structure's factor of safety of against overturning (FS_o) ?

What is a white-hat hacker?

Where does the term floppy disk come from?

Fill in the blank: C++, Java, Visual Basic, and FORTRAN are examples of _________.

What is Moore's law?

In which of the following file formats can raster data be saved?

Given a right triangle (ABC) with side a = 30.30 ft and hypotenuse c = 36.41 ft, what is the length of the side b?

What is the value of the given arithmetic expression?323 + 543 x (45.3 + 33.6) / 22 -17

At what height above the Earth's surface do Global Positioning System satellites orbit?

What is the most important consideration when developing high quality field notes?

Leveling (in surveying) is used to determine which of the following:

What does the term "metadata" mean as related to spatial data?

The final measurement in the line of tapes is 83 ft. The normal tape tension is 10 lbs. for the 100-ft tape used. What amount of tension should be applied to the spring balance of the end of the tape to yield the proper tension to the 83-ft increment?

In an area where the Earth's surface is higher than the geoid, which of the following statements is true?

What activity reduces huge amounts of data to smaller sets of meaningful, usable data?

Which of the following are included in the minimum requirements of an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan?