30 Multiple Choice Questions

1. An illumination level of 20 footcandles in a classroom will

A. cause students to suffer serious eye strain
B. have a disastrous effect on students’ test results
C. prevent glare
D. none of the above

2. The fixture for a 48-inch long fluorescent lamp can

A. direct light to the work surface
B. be integrated into the HVAC system
C. both of the above
D. none of the above

3. IES-recommended lighting levels for offices were raised steadily from the turn of the century through 1970 because

A. research proved that improved job performance required more illumination
B. office tasks became more and more demanding over time
C. manufacturers and electric utilities were dominant IES members
D. all of the above

4. Today’s energy codes regulate

A. CRI
B. footcandle levels
C. watts per square foot
D. all of the above

5. In a room with two direct fixtures, the illumination on the work plane can be calculated by

A. adding the results of the point source method calculations for each fixture
B. using the larger of the two point source method calculations
C. using the line source method
D. using the lumen or zonal cavity method

6. The reason that the desks in the back row, closest to the luminous ceiling, in UCC 113 receive less illumination than the desks in the center of the space, further from the luminous ceiling, is

A. the inverse square law
B. the reflectivity of the back wall is low
C. there are more point sources affecting the center of the room
D. all of the above

7. A photometric curve for a lamp and fixture combination demonstrates

A. lamp wattage over time
B. illumination distribution in section
C. lamp life expectancy with photocell controls
D. all of the above

8. When creating a library with a luminous ceiling, the designer has the most control over

A. required footcandle level (FC)
B. coefficient of utilization (CU)
C. light loss factor (LLF)
D. all of the above

9. The advantage of occupancy and photocell sensors that control electric light levels is

A. they can help save energy
B. they can increase lamp life in actual calendar years
C. they can help the design meet the energy code requirements
D. all of the above

10. For best integration with a sidelighting (daylight) scheme, electric lamps should be switched in banks

A. parallel to the windows
B. perpendicular to the windows
C. on north and south sides only
D. corresponding to task areas

11. One hundred years ago the primary fuel for energy generation was

A. wood
B. coal
C. petroleum
D. natural gas

12. The combustion of fossil fuels is responsible for

A. air pollution
B. acid rain
C. greenhouse gasses
D. all of the above

13. The energy source with the least amount of adverse environmental impact is

A. wind power
B. hydro-electric dams
C. photovoltaics
D. conservation

14. Currently, the least expensive new utility-scale energy generation source is

A. wind power
B. hydro-electric dams
C. photovoltaics
D. nuclear power

15. Untapped potential sources of hydroelectric energy include

A. tidal power
B. Salter’s ducks
C. hydro-pneumatic power
D. all of the above

16. The environmental cost of using gasoline as a fuel for automobiles is

A. air pollution from combustion
B. future scarcity of petroleum
C. social costs associated with urban sprawl
D. all of the above

17. The first law efficiency of a mechanical heating and cooling system is maximized at

A. less than 50%
B. about 90%
C. 100%
D. over 300%

18. The life-cycle cost of a building is dependent on

A. first costs
B. operating and maintenance costs
C. the discount rate
D. all of the above

19. A daylighted, energy saving office building that is both beautiful and accommodating, has the potential to save the occupant firm the most money in

A. energy savings
B. first costs
C. increased employee productivity
D. all of the above

20. In order to use AC lights, equipment, and appliances in a building powered by photovoltaics, the electrical system must include

A. batteries
B. an inverter
C. connection to the utility grid
D. all of the above

21. The most rewarding aspect of the field of design, much as Zen philosophy teaches us about the rewards of life in general, is

A. the final product
B. the process
C. the commission
D. none of the above

22. Pure water is at issue because

A. over 99% of the earth’s supply of water is inaccessible to us
B. our health and welfare depend on it
C. civilization has tended to pollute water
D. all of the above

23. Water can be purified by

A. percolation through the earth to the water table
B. evaporation from bodies of water to the clouds
C. natural processes in wetlands
D. all of the above

24. Runoff can be controlled by the use of

A. permeable paving
B. dry wells
C. retention ponds
D. all of the above

25. A site that offers the prospect of high quality water is located

A. near the top of the watershed
B. above a small local aquifer
C. downstream from a tertiary treatment plant
D. all of the above

26. Use of earthbound water in the west has caused problems with

A. subsidence
B. anadromous fish ecology
C. future water supplies
D. all of the above

27. Water is a scarce resource in the western United States because the west is

A. mostly a desert
B. population is growing rapidly
C. subject to periodic draughts
D. all of the above

28. Increased runoff from urban sprawl is responsible for

A. poor water quality
B. an increase in the area of the 100-year flood plain
C. lowered water table replenishment rate
D. all of the above

29. The most reliable on-site potable water supply method is

A. a well
B. surface water—streams or ponds
C. rooftop catchment and cistern storage
D. none of the above

30. In a sunny climate a two-panel solar hot water heater can usually supply

A. less than 50% of a single family residence’s annual needs
B. about 50% of a single family residence’s annual needs
C. most of a single family residence’s annual needs
D. 100% of a single family residence’s annual needs