Are You Smarter than an Undergraduate? July 2026

Question 1: In radiation heat transfer, energy is transferred by _____________.

Direct contact

Fluid flow

Electromagnetic waves

Conduction through solids

Question 2: Shear stress in a rectangular beam is maximum at ______________.

Top fiber

Bottom fiber

Neutral axis

Mid-depth quarter point

Question 3: The energy efficiency ratio (EER) of an air conditioner is defined as __________.

kW ÷ Cooling load

Cooling capacity (Btu/hr) ÷ Power input (W)

Airflow ÷ Volume

COP ÷ Temperature difference

Question 4: In a three-phase AC system, the phase angle difference between each line voltage is _________.

60°

120°

90°

45°

Question 5: The continuity equation in hydrology is based on __________.

Newton’s second law

Conservation of mass

Conservation of momentum

Darcy’s law

Question 6: The bearing capacity of a shallow foundation increases with __________.

Increase in water table

Increase in footing depth

Decrease in soil density

Decrease in shear strength

Learning sometimes comes with a bang. Test your knowledge of experiments that went just a little too far.