CFC Data Analysis & Statistical Methods 5

Question 1

How many runs does a full factorial design with 3 factors at 2 levels each require, without replicates?

Accepted Answer

8

Answer

A two-level full factorial needs 2^k runs, and 2^3 = 8.

Question 2

Which design is most suitable for finding the optimal levels of acid and sweetener in a beverage flavor, including curvature?

Accepted Answer

Response surface methodology, such as a central composite design

Answer

RSM designs such as the central composite design fit quadratic models that locate an optimum.

Question 3

On a Shewhart control chart for a flavor QC attribute, where are the control limits usually set?

Accepted Answer

Plus or minus 3 standard deviations from the mean

Answer

Shewhart charts use limits at 3 sigma, which contain about 99.7% of common-cause variation.

Question 4

A flavor blend has three components whose proportions must sum to 100%. Which experimental design is appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Simplex mixture design

Answer

In a mixture design the proportions are constrained to a fixed total, so they are modeled on a simplex.

Question 5

What is the purpose of a Williams Latin square serving design in sensory testing?

Accepted Answer

To balance presentation order and first-order carryover effects

Answer

In a Williams design, each sample precedes every other sample equally often, which balances carryover.

CFC - Certified Flavor Chemist Practice Test