Engineering and Technology Flashcards

An engineering team designs a water filtration system for a remote village. The initial prototype works effectively but requires a component that is only available internationally, making it expensive and difficult to replace. Which of the following represents the MOST critical shift in constraints when moving from the prototype to a sustainable, real-world solution?

Answer: Redesigning the system to use only locally sourced, readily available materials.

While filtration rate and weight are valid criteria, the primary constraint for a sustainable, real-world solution in a remote area is maintainability and accessibility of parts. Relying on expensive, internationally-sourced components creates a long-term dependency and potential for failure if a part cannot be easily replaced. Redesigning with local materials addresses the critical constraints of cost, availability, and long-term usability in the specific context.

During stress testing, a newly designed carbon fiber bicycle frame unexpectedly cracks near a joint. A failure analysis is initiated. What is the primary goal of this analysis?

Answer: To determine the root cause of the crack, whether it's a design flaw, material defect, or manufacturing error.

Failure analysis is a systematic investigation to determine the underlying reason for a failure. Its main purpose is not to assign blame or immediately restart, but to learn from the failure. By identifying the root cause—be it in the design, materials, or fabrication process—engineers can make specific, informed changes to prevent the same failure from happening again.

A company is developing a new smartphone. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is conducted to evaluate its environmental impact. Which stage of the product's life cycle would an LCA analyze that is often overlooked by consumers?

Answer: The environmental impact of mining rare earth metals for its components.

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates the entire environmental impact of a product from 'cradle to grave'. This includes raw material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, use, and end-of-life disposal. While consumers are familiar with the 'use' phase (charging), the significant environmental and social impacts of extracting raw materials like lithium and rare earth metals are a critical but less visible part of the LCA.

The development of CRISPR gene-editing technology has been a major breakthrough. Which of the following BEST explains the primary reason for establishing strict bioethical guidelines for its use?

Answer: To address the potential for unintended, long-term consequences on the ecosystem and inheritable genetic changes in humans.

Bioethics is concerned with the moral implications of new biological and medical technologies. With powerful tools like CRISPR, the main ethical concerns revolve around its potential for profound and permanent impacts, such as altering the human germline (making changes that can be passed to future generations) or creating organisms that could disrupt natural ecosystems. Guidelines are created to navigate these complex societal, moral, and safety issues.

Which of the following is an example of a technological application resulting from a prior scientific discovery?

Answer: Building a satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) by applying the principles of Einstein's theory of relativity.

Scientific discovery is about understanding the natural world, while technology is the application of that knowledge to solve problems. The theory of relativity, which describes how gravity affects time, is a scientific discovery. GPS technology is a direct application of that scientific principle; it would not be accurate without making calculations to account for relativistic effects. The development of thermodynamics *after* the steam engine is an example of technology driving scientific discovery.

A team successfully develops a prototype of a complex electronic device using 3D-printed parts. When preparing for mass production, what new, critical constraint must they now address that was likely NOT a major factor for the single prototype?

Answer: The design must be optimized for manufacturability, considering material costs and assembly line efficiency.

While all options are important, 'Design for Manufacturability' (DFM) is a specific phase that becomes critical when scaling from a one-off prototype to mass production. A 3D-printed part might be perfect for a prototype but too slow or expensive to produce at scale. DFM involves redesigning components to be made efficiently and cost-effectively using methods like injection molding, which have different constraints than prototyping methods.