Question 1

How can a superconducting material allow electrons to pass through without losing energy?

Accepted Answer

The answer generally has to do with the

Question 2

What might happen to the material in a human body if those materials exceeded their elastic limits?

Accepted Answer

If the material is bone, it wi

Question 3

Which of the following can be communicated by using only a series of "yes-or-no" questions?

Accepted Answer

A)  a digital photograph 
B)  a telephone number 
C)  an entire set of encyclopedia 
D)  how to color a rainbow 
E)  all of these 
A)  a digital photograph 
B)  a telephone number 
C)  an entire set of encyclopedia 
D)  how to color a rainbow 
E)  all of these

Question 4

Compare the workings of a human brain with the workings of a computer.

Accepted Answer

The basic unit of the computer, the tran

Question 5

Integrated circuits contributed most directly to

Accepted Answer

A)  photovoltaic cells. 
B)  invention of superconductors. 
C)  the miniaturization of computers. 
D)  the formation of strong composite materials. 
E)  the insulating properties of modern ceramics. 
A)  photovoltaic cells. 
B)  invention of superconductors. 
C)  the miniaturization of computers. 
D)  the formation of strong composite materials. 
E)  the insulating properties of modern ceramics.

Question 6

If a six letter word requires 48 bits of information, how many bits are required for 1000 such words?

Accepted Answer

If each word require

Question 7

One important characteristic of some semiconducting diodes is that they

Accepted Answer

A)  are a perfect insulator. 
B)  conduct electricity better than a conductor. 
C)  are highly magnetized. 
D)  occur only at very low temperatures. 
E)  allow electricity to flow in only one direction. 
A)  are a perfect insulator. 
B)  conduct electricity better than a conductor. 
C)  are highly magnetized. 
D)  occur only at very low temperatures. 
E)  allow electricity to flow in only one direction.

Question 8

How is a microchip an improvement over a transistor?

Accepted Answer

A)  A microchip is much faster than a transistor. 
B)  A microchip can be made from less expensive materials than the silicon diodes in transistors. 
C)  Transistor manufacturing introduces foreign elements such as aluminum and phosphorus into the crystal lattice. 
D)  Transistors require a tremendous amount of heat energy in the manufacturing process. 
E)  A microchip incorporates thousands of transistors in one integrated circuit designed for a specific function. 
A)  A microchip is much faster than a transistor. 
B)  A microchip can be made from less expensive materials than the silicon diodes in transistors. 
C)  Transistor manufacturing introduces foreign elements such as aluminum and phosphorus into the crystal lattice. 
D)  Transistors require a tremendous amount of heat energy in the manufacturing process. 
E)  A microchip incorporates thousands of transistors in one integrated circuit designed for a specific function.

Question 9

In order for a computer to become more like a human brain, it would need

Accepted Answer

A)  to have more interconnections. 
B)  to perform operations only in sequential steps. 
C)  to operate without using electrical signals. 
D)  to have a smaller central processing unit (CPU). 
E)  to have a more reliable source of energy. 
A)  to have more interconnections. 
B)  to perform operations only in sequential steps. 
C)  to operate without using electrical signals. 
D)  to have a smaller central processing unit (CPU). 
E)  to have a more reliable source of energy.

Question 10

Which material would have the strongest compressive strength?

Accepted Answer

A)  egg shell 
B)  ream of copier paper 
C)  pile of dry sand 
D)  rope 
E)  shopping bag 
A)  egg shell 
B)  ream of copier paper 
C)  pile of dry sand 
D)  rope 
E)  shopping bag

Question 11

Which kind of strength describes a material's ability to withstand twisting?

Accepted Answer

A)  compressive 
B)  shear 
C)  brute 
D)  tensile 
E)  flexible 
A)  compressive 
B)  shear 
C)  brute 
D)  tensile 
E)  flexible

Question 12

Name at least ten physical properties of materials. What do all these physical properties have in common?

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary but can include these

Question 13

Which of the following statements best describes a characteristic of most composite materials?

Accepted Answer

A)  Composite materials are stronger than their components. 
B)  Composite materials have a great amount of tensile strength. 
C)  Composite materials are made from layers of semiconductors. 
D)  The layers of composite materials are held together by static electricity. 
E)  Composite materials have a great deal of compressive strength. 
A)  Composite materials are stronger than their components. 
B)  Composite materials have a great amount of tensile strength. 
C)  Composite materials are made from layers of semiconductors. 
D)  The layers of composite materials are held together by static electricity. 
E)  Composite materials have a great deal of compressive strength.

Question 14

What does the CPU do?

Accepted Answer

A)  stores magnetically oriented particles on a disk. 
B)  processes the photographic image of a 35-mm camera 
C)  provides robots for NASA's artificial intelligence department 
D)  creates virtual memory from brain scans 
E)  monitors satellite downloads 
A)  stores magnetically oriented particles on a disk. 
B)  processes the photographic image of a 35-mm camera 
C)  provides robots for NASA's artificial intelligence department 
D)  creates virtual memory from brain scans 
E)  monitors satellite downloads

Question 15

How has Moore's Law been applied in recent years?

Accepted Answer

Moore's Law predicted that computing pow

Question 16

If you start a current flowing in a superconducting wire that is kept cold, and then remove the power source, the

Accepted Answer

A)  current would stop flowing immediately. 
B)  current would continue to flow. 
C)  current would flow through the superconducting wire for about twice as long as it would have through copper wire. 
D)  electrons would move through the wire, losing a great deal of energy. 
E)  superconducting wire would not be able to generate a magnetic field. 
A)  current would stop flowing immediately. 
B)  current would continue to flow. 
C)  current would flow through the superconducting wire for about twice as long as it would have through copper wire. 
D)  electrons would move through the wire, losing a great deal of energy. 
E)  superconducting wire would not be able to generate a magnetic field.

Question 17

Which of the following exists at very low temperatures?

Accepted Answer

A)  semiconductor 
B)  superconductor 
C)  insulator 
D)  conductor 
E)  composite materials 
A)  semiconductor 
B)  superconductor 
C)  insulator 
D)  conductor 
E)  composite materials

Question 18

Describe how the "Chinese room" paradox negates the value of a Turing test. Why do you think that a philosopher rather than a mathematician designed the Chinese Room concept?

Accepted Answer

There is no real communication; just fol

Question 19

In what way is the human body both a conductor and an insulator?

Accepted Answer

Salts in the circula

Question 20

What is electrical resistance?

Accepted Answer

This is the property

Exam 11: Materials and Their Properties: How Have Computers Gotten so Much Faster

How can a superconducting material allow electrons to pass through without losing energy?

What might happen to the material in a human body if those materials exceeded their elastic limits?

Which of the following can be communicated by using only a series of "yes-or-no" questions?

Compare the workings of a human brain with the workings of a computer.

Integrated circuits contributed most directly to

If a six letter word requires 48 bits of information, how many bits are required for 1000 such words?

One important characteristic of some semiconducting diodes is that they

How is a microchip an improvement over a transistor?

In order for a computer to become more like a human brain, it would need

Which material would have the strongest compressive strength?

Which kind of strength describes a material's ability to withstand twisting?

Name at least ten physical properties of materials. What do all these physical properties have in common?

Which of the following statements best describes a characteristic of most composite materials?

What does the CPU do?

How has Moore's Law been applied in recent years?

If you start a current flowing in a superconducting wire that is kept cold, and then remove the power source, the

Which of the following exists at very low temperatures?

Describe how the "Chinese room" paradox negates the value of a Turing test. Why do you think that a philosopher rather than a mathematician designed the Chinese Room concept?

In what way is the human body both a conductor and an insulator?

What is electrical resistance?

Science: a Way of Knowing: How Do You Know What You Know

The Ordered Universe: Why Do Planets Appear to Wander Slowly Across the Sky

Energy: Why Must Animals Eat to Stay Alive

Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Why Is It Easier to Make an Omelet From an Egg Than to Make an Egg From an Omelet

Electricity and Magnetism: What Is Lightning

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation: What Is Color

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity: Can a Human Ever Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light, at Warp Speed

The Atom: Why Are There so Many Different Materials in the World

Quantum Mechanics: How Can the Electron Behave Like Both a Particle and a Wave

Atoms in Combination: the Chemical Bond: How Does Blood Clot

The Nucleus of the Atom: How Do Scientists Determine the Age of the Oldest Human Fossils

The Ultimate Structure of Matter: How Can Antimatter Be Used to Probe the Human Brain

The Stars: How Much Longer Can the Sun Sustain Life on Earth

Cosmology: Will the Universe End

Earth and Other Planets: Is Earth the Only Planet With Life

Plate Tectonics: Can We Predict Destructive Earthquakes

Earths Many Cycles: Will We Ever Run Out of Fresh Water

Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment: Are Human Activities Affecting the Global Environment

Strategies of Life: What Is Life

The Living Cell: What Is the Smallest Living Thing

Molecules of Life: What Constitutes a Healthy Diet

Classical and Modern Genetics: Why Do Offspring Resemble Their Parents

The New Science of Life: Can We Cure Cancer

Evolution: How Did Life Emerge on the Ancient Earth

Filters