Practice 4.3 Environmental with authentic IB Digital Society (DS) exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 structure, covering key topics like systems and structures, human behavior and interaction, and digital technologies in society. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
Paper
Level
Question 1
SL & HLPaper 2
Source A: Sensors Used in Autonomous Vehicles
1.[2]
Define the term ‘autonomous vehicle’.
2.[4]
Identify and explain the function of 2 sensors on an autonomous vehicle
3.[4]
Explain how sensors would be used by autonomous vehicles to avoid obstacles in the road.
Question 2
HLPaper 1
1.[12]
Can digital technologies be used sustainably?
Many organizations claim that the most efficient use of information technology (IT) equipment, such as laptops and printers, is to replace them on a regular basis. For example, an organization’s strategy may be to do this every three years.
Other organizations purchase IT equipment that can easily be upgraded by increasing the storage and memory or upgrading the processing capabilities only when required. They claim they do not need to replace their IT equipment on such a regular basis and believe this is a more sustainable practice.
Evaluate the sustainability of these two strategies.
Question 3
SLPaper 1
Digital currency
Bitcoin is a type of digital currency (cryptocurrency). This is money that can be sent via the internet and exchanged for goods, services, or money in different currencies. Users can buy bitcoins using real money, and bitcoins can either be spent or stored in a digital wallet for later use. Bitcoins can be used in every country, and sending bitcoins is as simple as sending an email.
A bitcoin wallet is an application that can be installed on a computer or mobile device. Once a bitcoin wallet is installed, the user will get a bitcoin address to use when transferring bitcoins to and from the wallet. This transfer uses private and public key encryption. Users should have a strong password to access their bitcoin wallet.
Bitcoin operates on a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, and users of bitcoins are identified by their bitcoin address. Some users of bitcoins wish to remain anonymous, but this is not always possible.
1.[2]
Identify two characteristics of a peer-to-peer (P2P) network.
2.[2]
Identify two characteristics of a strong password.
3.[2]
The use of a password is one method of authentication.
Identify two other methods of authentication.
4.[2]
Explain one reason why bitcoin makes use of encryption when transmitting data.
5.[2]
Explain one reason why it may be difficult to ensure the security of information in a large peer-to-peer network such as bitcoin.
6.[2]
Some users of bitcoins are concerned that their anonymity may be compromised by their bitcoin address.
Explain one way in which a bitcoin address may be used to reveal information about a bitcoin user.
7.[8]
Bitcoin transactions are made between individuals without the knowledge of banks, governments, or credit card companies. Some governments are investigating whether they should regulate digital transactions, such as those made using bitcoins.
To what extent is it appropriate for governments to regulate digital transactions, such as those made using bitcoins?
Question 4
HLPaper 1
The Impact of Autonomous Vehicles on Urban Infrastructure
The integration of autonomous vehicles (AVs) has the potential to transform urban infrastructure by reducing traffic congestion, improving road safety, and optimizing parking. However, AVs also require infrastructure modifications, and their presence raises questions about road-sharing laws, pedestrian safety, and ethical decision-making in complex traffic situations.
1.[12]
Evaluate the extent to which autonomous vehicles should influence the redesign of urban infrastructure, considering both the potential benefits for traffic efficiency and the challenges of ensuring public safety.
Question 5
SL & HLPaper 1
1.[8]
Discuss how citizens could be impacted through the use of smart city digital technologies
Question 6
SL & HLPaper 2
Source A
Source B Through this article today, we are here to share with you the various challenges in the internet of things. Security challenges- The first and foremost on the list of challenges is security. As the backbone of IoT is data storage and sharing, the biggest question arises about the security of data. Enabling every small physical object with the feature of sharing information may attract multiple raised brows. Lack of encryption- Encryption sounds like the ultimate answer to security issues. But hackers may manipulate these algorithms and turn a protective system into the most serious loophole. Lack of sufficient testing and updating- With the increasing market of IoT, production has to be faster. To compete in the race of production, manufacturers lack tests and updates. The main focus of IoT manufacturers now seems to be production, not security. Thus products lack proper and regular testing and updates. This makes IOTs prone to being attacked by hackers.
Source C A smart home is a household with internet-connected appliances you can remotely control using a tablet or smartphone. It uses smart devices such as smart TVs, smart thermostats, air conditioners, and even a robot vacuum. They are then connected together in a single network, through either hardwired or wireless systems like Zigbee, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC, among others. Using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, your smart appliances can communicate and share real time data with each other. This allows the devices to perform scheduled and automated tasks. IoT home gadgets bounce data back and forth with the use of sensors, learning and processing your patterns to automatically adjust themselves to your comfort. Some smart home Internet of Things applications are automatic light switches, burglar alarms, and voice-activated sound systems.
Source D A tired business person returns to their certified IoT smart home after a long working week. The smart security system senses they are alone and initiates the “Friday Night In” sequence. An intercom with a thoughtful, comforting voice suggests they might want to order in tonight. The business person unloads their things in the kitchen where the smart stove displays a selection of take-outs, rather than its default recipe guide. After the food arrives they retreat to the living room to watch some TV. The smart TV prepares a selection of Netflix marathons categorized by mood. They choose: “Looking to be cheered up? Comedy Playlist.” Before starting the program, they review a set of graphs displaying the data from their activity and diet throughout the day. A list of tips for smart living is generated, one of which reads that based on the number of consecutive nights spent alone, they might consider exploring a selection of popular dating sites instead of watching TV. With an inadvertent slip of their thumb the request is OK’d and instantly a set of profiles are displayed, each chosen from a generated list of their tracked preferences. A flurry of pings and messages from other stay-at-home hopefuls fills the screen. The smart home intercom exclaims, “You’ve got mail!” The confused and beleaguered business person fumbles for the remote and… uh-oh, the TV snaps a selfie in response to the flood of pings. Their image, sitting in their underwear eating noodles appears briefly on the screen before being whisked off into the ether. The flood of messages doubles, the system freezes causing the smart home to reboot. The house goes dark.
1.[2]
With reference to Source A identify 2 positives of IoT.
2.[4]
With reference to Source B and one other real-world example you have studied, explain why it may be difficult to have IoT in smart homes.
3.[6]
Compare what Source C and Source D reveal about impacts of homeowners with IoT smart homes.
4.[12]
With reference to the sources and your own knowledge, discuss whether the use of IoT in smart homes is an incremental or transformational change.
Question 7
HLPaper 1
Quantum computers encode in qubits instead of binary data. Where 8 bits in a computer can represent any number between 0 and 255, 8 qubits can represent those same numbers simultaneously. In research situations, quantum computers are able to examine a multitude of possible combinations and run a variety of simulations simultaneously.
1.[12]
To what extent will quantum computing impact research and development in academic environments?
Question 8
HLPaper 1
1.[12]
Selecting candidates for political parties
Political parties often have large numbers of applicants who wish to act as representatives in their various governing bodies. A senior party official must make the final decision about which applicants should be offered which roles. Many roles receive as many as 15 applications, and it is not possible to interview each applicant.
In an attempt to streamline the application process, a prospective representative will need to complete two tasks:
- Completing an online questionnaire.
- Submitting a video where they explain the reasons behind their application.
Neither task will involve the team in the political party.
The applicants will be directed to a link provided by the software developer where they can complete both tasks. The responses to the questionnaires and the videos will be analysed using artificial intelligence (AI).
The software will score the questionnaire and video for each applicant and send it to the senior party official’s team. The applicants with the highest scores will then be invited by the political party for an interview.
The software developers claim this will reduce the number of applications the senior party official needs to process and lead to the most appropriate applicants being selected for an interview.
Discuss whether the political party should introduce the digital system to assist the senior party official when deciding which applicants should be offered roles as representatives.
Question 9
HLPaper 1
AI and the Issue of Accountability in Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous vehicles rely on AI for navigation and decision-making. In cases of accidents, assigning accountability can be challenging, as decisions are made by the vehicle’s AI system rather than a human driver. This issue raises legal and ethical questions about responsibility in AI-driven systems.
1.[12]
Evaluate the challenges of ensuring accountability in autonomous vehicles, considering both the potential for safer roads and the complexities of AI decision-making.
Question 10
SLPaper 1
Automatic crop watering system
Since 1990, Bertha Ascayo has been the manager of El Pallar, a farm in Chacra Province, where fruit trees are grown. In recent years, the climate has become more unpredictable, and the farm has suffered from periods of drought. Bertha is aware that she now needs to manage the watering of her fruit trees more than she has had to in the past.
Bertha will need to make some improvements to the watering system by adding a rain sensor and use a computer program to automate the watering process. She has chosen a company that uses open-source software. The same company also installed the equipment for the watering of the trees.
By using this software, Bertha can program a different watering plan for each type of tree. This includes programming the days of the week, times of the day, and length of the water cycle for each type of tree to be watered. For example, orange trees will be watered on Mondays and Thursdays at 6am for 45 minutes and at 8pm for 30 minutes.
1.[3]
Identify three characteristics of open-source software.
2.[3]
A computer program uses data provided by a rain sensor to decide whether to water the trees. Identify three ways how the algorithm may be represented.
3.[6]
Water is becoming increasingly scarce in Chacra Province, and the provincial government is concerned there will be a point when there is not enough water for all of the farms to water their crops or fruit trees.
To manage water for the watering of crops and fruit trees, the provincial government of Chacra Province intends to use computer modelling to calculate how much water each farm in the province will receive.
Explain three factors that will contribute to the accuracy of this computer model.
4.[8]
The farmers of Chacra Province are concerned about the provincial government using a computer model to determine the amount of water they will be allowed to use to water their fruit trees.
To what extent should the farmers of Chacra Province rely on their knowledge and experience, rather than the computer-based solution provided by the provincial government, to manage the watering of the fruit trees?