DP Design Technology Questionbank

Suggest one reason why the depletion of hardwood reserves may have political implications.

List two consequences of a manufacturing process that uses large quantities of raw materials.

Outline the difference between a renewable and a non-renewable resource.

Define the term renewable resource.

Which of the following has the hierarchy of waste in the right order (from most to least desirable)?

A. Landfill, incineration, resource recovery, recycling, reuse, source reduction

B. Source reduction, reuse, recycling, resource recovery, incineration, landfill

C. Landfill, resource recovery, recycling, reuse, source reduction, incineration

D. Source reduction, resource recovery, recycling, reuse, incineration, landfill

Explain one waste mitigation strategy the designer could use to reduce the percentage of ABS sent to landfill at the end of the product’s life.

Outline how the Greenfeet Vertue shoe is an example of waste mitigation.

Outline why manufacturers would use the strategy of dematerializing plastic products.

Outline one reason why products that are made of more than one material can be difficult to recycle.

List two reasons why some countries recycle a larger percentage of plastics than others.

Outline why thermoplastics tend to be easier to recycle than thermosetting plastics.

Explain one negative environmental impact of incinerating plastic waste.

Life cycle analysis (LCA) is a tool that assesses the impact of a product on the environment.

Explain how the environmental impact can be minimized during production, distribution and disposal of the electric motorcycle.

As an energy generation process, CHP (Combined Heat and Power) is fuel neutral. What does this mean?

A. It can clean fuels

B. It can neutralise fuels

C. It can be applied to renewable and fossil fuels

D. It can take subsidies from fossil fuels

Plastic has a high embodied energy. Define embodied energy.

Which of the following strategies would be the easiest way to ensure energy was being used most efficiently?

A. Constructing power plants closer to cities

B. Combining renewable and non-renewable energy sources

C. Implementing combined heat and power (CHP)

D. Reducing reliance on international grid systems

Explain how end-of-pipe technologies can reduce the environmental impact of manufacturing.

Outline one driver for the use of clean technology to develop the rotor sail.

Outline one driver for cleaning up manufacturing.

List two drivers for employing clean technology in the production of Dish Doctor.

Explain why end-of-pipe technologies may not be the most effective strategy to reduce pollution.

Explain one negative environmental impact of incinerating plastic waste.

Explain how the manufacture of the Treak Village plastic brick addresses the green design objectives of materials, energy and waste.

List two reasons why some countries recycle a larger percentage of plastics than others.

Outline why electric motorcycles are regarded as a green design.

Explain one way how disposable products can have a negative impact on the environment.

Explain two ways how the design team have addressed the problem of disposability through the design of the Aria asthma inhaler.

Rogers’ characteristics of innovation impact on the rate of consumer adoption of an innovation.

Explain the role of relative advantage, compatibility and observability on the rate of adoption of the Aria asthma inhaler.

Explain how the use of nano cellulose impacts the pre-production, utilization and disposal stages of the NCV’s life cycle.

List one reason why the design for environment software does not generate a result for energy consumed at the utilization stage of the product lifecycle.

Outline why the energy consumed at the pre-production stage is greater for aluminium than for ABS.

What are the disadvantages of carrying out a life cycle analysis (LCA)?

I. Time consuming

II. Expensive

III. Legally binding

A. I and II

B. I and III

C. II and III

D. I, II and III

Designers need to know which materials for a particular product would be most sustainable.

Which of the following would help a designer achieve this task?

A. UNEP eco design manual

B. Design for environment software

C. Environmental impact assessment matrix

D. Finite element analysis (FEA)

Which of the following are considered when carrying out a life cycle analysis (LCA)?

I. Utilization

II. Disposal

III. Amount of labour

A. I and II

B. I and III

C. II and III

D. I, II and III

Which eco-design system gives a low, medium or high risk rating for each stage of a life cycle analysis (LCA)?

A. Product life cycle

B. Converging technology

C. Environmental impact assessment matrix

D. United Nations Environmental Programme Manual

Figure 1 is an example of a tool used by designers.

Figure 1: A tool used to demonstrate the stages and impacts of a project

[Source: © International Baccalaureate Organization 2020.]

What is Figure 1 an example of?

A. Life cycle analysis (LCA) matrix

B. Design for the environment software

C. Affinity diagramming

D. Environmental impact assessment matrix

Which of the following statements are true of life cycle analysis (LCA)?

I. Straightforward

II. Expensive

III. Time-consuming

A. I and II only

B. I and III only

C. II and III only

D. I, II and III

Explain one reason why the smartwatch is an example of a converging technology.

List two reasons why some countries recycle a larger percentage of plastics than others.

Life cycle analysis (LCA) is a tool that assesses the impact of a product on the environment.

Explain how the environmental impact can be minimized during production, distribution and disposal of the electric motorcycle.