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100-midterm-2019 W-Set B-Posted Solutions
Applied Science (The University of British Columbia)
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APSC 100 Midterm Exam
Oct 23/25, 2019 ‐ Writing time: 45 minutes
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Name: Sample solutions
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There are three parts to this exam:



Part 1: multiple choice (20 marks)
Part 2: 5 short answer (15 marks)
Part 3: 3 scenario questions (10 marks)
Answer Part 1 using the sheet provided at the
end of this booklet.
You are permitted to have a pencil, pen,
eraser, and ruler for this exam. No other
aids or devices are permitted.
READ AND OBSERVE THE FOLLOWING RULES
1. Each examination candidate must be
prepared to produce, upon the request of the
invigilator or examiner, his or her UBC card
for identification.
2. Examination candidates are not permitted to
ask questions of the examiners or invigilators,
except in cases of supposed errors or
ambiguities in examination questions,
illegible or missing material, or the like.
3. Examination candidates must conduct
themselves honestly and in accordance with
the rules established herein. Should
dishonest behaviour be observed by the
examiner(s) or invigilator(s), pleas of accident
or forgetfulness shall not be received.
4. Examination candidates suspected of any of
the following, or any other similar practices,
may be immediately dismissed from the
Class Section: _____
examination by the examiner/invigilator, and
may be subject to disciplinary action:
i.
speaking or communicating with
other examination candidates;
ii.
purposely exposing written papers to
the view of other examination
candidates or imaging devices;
iii.
purposely viewing the written papers
of other examination candidates;
iv.
using or having visible at the place of
writing any books, papers or other
memory aid devices; and,
v.
using or operating electronic devices
including but not limited to
telephones, calculators, computers,
or similar devices. Electronic devices
must be completely powered down if
present at the place of writing.
5. Examination candidates must not destroy or
damage any examination material, must
hand in all examination papers, and must not
take any examination material from the
examination room.
6. Examination candidates must follow any
additional examination rules or directions
communicated by the examiner(s) or
invigilator(s).
CANDIDATES MUST IMMEDIATELY STOP
WRITING WHEN THE INVIGILATOR ANNOUNCES
THE EXAM IS OVER.
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Part 1 – Multiple Choice [20 questions, 20 marks]
ANSWER ALL 20 QUESTIONS IN THE SHEET PROVIDED AT THE END OF THIS BOOKLET.
Choose the best response – a given question may have more than one choice that is correct, but marks will
only be given for the best answer.
1. From the Mining Engineering presentation, what is one of the biggest challenges in mining
precious metals, like gold?
a) Getting permits for precious metal mines can be politically challenging
b) Successfully locating high concentrations of precious metals in the earth is primarily due to chance
c) The ore rock in which precious metals are found is exceptionally strong and hard
d) Most of the material removed from earth when mining precious metals is waste that must be stored
e) Separating precious metals from ore rock still requires large amounts of human labour
2. Of the engineering disciplines listed below, which one is MOST strongly related to “anything that
moves?”
a) Chemical and Biological Engineering
b) Geological Engineering
c) Materials Engineering
d) Mechanical Engineering
e) Mining Engineering
3. Concept generation is MOST effective when
a) One team member takes responsibility for generating all the ideas
b) Every team member generates the same number of ideas
c) Every team member is given an equal opportunity to contribute ideas
d) Poor ideas are eliminated as concept generation proceeds
e) It is conducted in parallel with the studying and clarify the problem stage
4. Which of the following was not a key objective of the “Fishbowl” activity in the APSC 100 studio?
a) To appreciate the perspectives of stakeholders more fully
b) To identify stakeholders that are most influential in the project
c) To identify technological solutions otherwise overlooked by the engineering team
d) To use stakeholder viewpoints to inform the decision-making process
e) None of the above
5. Which of the following characteristics is NOT a unique characteristic of complex systems?
a) Comprised of multiple components
b) Presence of many feedback loops
c) Unpredictable
d) Governed by more than just physical restrictions and limitations
e) Multiple components work together to achieve a common function
6. Which statement is the LEAST true about prototypes?
a) they can be used at any stage of the design process
b) they should never be more than one-quarter of the size of the real design
c) they help to reduce risk in the design process
d) they can be comprehensive or focussed
e) they can be made out of different materials than the real design
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7. A requirement for a new rolling travel bag is that it can be used as carry on luggage for both North
American and European airlines. Which of the following bags would have to be screened out?
a) It is half the maximum size in all dimensions
b) It is within the maximum dimensions, as long as the wheels are made retractable
c) It is within the maximum dimensions, but does not include wheels or rolling hardware
d) It is well within the maximum size in two dimensions, and just barely within the third
e) It is within all dimensions, but the internal volume is reduced by a bulky retractable handle design
8. Which statement about technical posters is the MOST true?
a) A poster is a less popular way to technical projects as compared to live presentation
b) A technical poster should be very focussed for a specific audience
c) Text and graphics should be big enough to be viewed from several feet away from the poster
d) The order of information presented on a poster doesn’t matter as long as it is all there
e) A technical poster should describe only the final product or design
9. You are working on a project to promote solar energy subsidies in Canada. Which would be the
LEAST important stakeholder to consult?
a) Electricity consumers
b) Federal government
c) Construction companies
d) Provincial governments
e) Solar panel suppliers
10. Compared to a presentation created in a conventional format, assertion-evidence slides tend to:
a) Be easier to understand when the speaker is not there to explain them
b) Take less time to present per slide during the presentation
c) Use more bullet points and fewer images and tables
d) Less clearly convey the key point of each slide
e) Provide weaker support the claims being made by the speaker
11. Which statement about “requirements” and “evaluation criteria” is FALSE?
a) Together they make up the target design specifications
b) Typically, evaluation criteria are applied first, and then requirements are applied second
c) Requirements criteria determine the limits of acceptability of a design concept
d) Evaluation criteria are used in ranking and scoring to determine the most promising concept
e) A single need can lead to both a requirement and an evaluation criterion
12. A stakeholder states “I want to have a vehicle that travels at least 100 km before refueling; I don’t
care if it goes farther.” Which of the following BEST represents this need?
a) One target design specification
b) One requirement
c) Two requirements
d) One evaluation criterion
e) One requirement and one evaluation criterion
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13. Which of the following statements about C-sketch is TRUE?
a) A team member working alone can complete the full C-sketch process
b) Erasing parts of a teammate’s ideas is permitted in C-sketch
c) Lots of noise and talking is typical with an effective C-sketch session
d) A drawback of C-sketch is it favours more artistic team members
e) C-sketch should only be done after first brainstorming solutions
14. You are presenting to an industrial sponsor that is visiting campus and you have a room you
reserved to present to them. They supported your design team last year and you are hoping they
will support your student design team again. What other information do you most need now?
a) The purpose of the presentation
b) The length of the presentation
c) What the sponsor already knows about your design team
d) The location of the presentation
e) The audience for your presentation
15. Which one of the following situations benefits MOST from applying systems thinking?
a) neutralizing the impact of unintended consequences
b) understanding complex problems
c) eliminating uncertainty
d) calculating risks
e) analyzing problems systematically
16. In assessing your audience for a technical talk, which of the following is the BEST reason for
changing your presentation?
a) the audience has been exposed to misinformation about the topic
b) you are unsure if the audience understands the importance of your topic
c) the audience already knows what you are going to talk about
d) the content has become topical and relevant
e) the technical content of your talk matches the comprehension of the audience
17. Compared to thoughtfully progressing through the design process, in rushing through the early
stages, which of the following gets smaller?
a) Actual costs near the start of the project
b) Costs committed near the start of the project
c) Actual costs by the end of the project
d) Cost committed by the end of the project
e) At least TWO of the above get smaller
18. Which element of the APSC 100 design process model is typically NOT found on most other design
process models?
a) Clearly defined process entrance and exit
b) Generating potential solutions
c) Studying the problem
d) Identifying the most promising solution
e) Iteration
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19. Which is the LEAST appropriate approach when creating designs using the CAD programs
suggested in APSC 100?
a) Draw 2D sketches, and rotate or expand the sketch to create 3D shapes.
b) When creating a hole in an existing shape, draw the outline of the hole in a 2D sketch and use the
appropriate command to remove the material from the existing shape.
c) Select simple 3D objects and combine them to form more complex shapes
d) When modifying dimensions, identify the appropriate sketch which defines the dimension and
change the appropriate value
e) Creating multiple versions of the CAD file allows for rapidly testing out different ideas.
20. Which of the following BEST describes how the dimension of a feature (e.g. a hole or cylinder) on
a part is modified through the CAD programs suggested for use in APSC 100?
a) Delete the feature and recreate it with the new dimension
b) Use “undo” and then recreate the feature with the new dimension
c) Edit the dimension directly in the sketch or tool used to create the feature, then regenerate the part
d) Add or remove material to the part as necessary to adjust the dimension
e) There is no way to modify a dimension once a part is created; a new part must be drawn
Part 2 – Short‐Answer Questions (15 marks)
Answer all 5 questions in the spaces provided. The size of the answer boxes should guide you to how
detailed your response should be - work outside the boxes will NOT be graded. For full marks, answers
need to be clear, concise, and legible. Each question is worth 3 marks.
21. Consider the APSC 100 design process shown.
a) What are Stages 3 and 4?
3 Identify most promising solution
4 Develop and test solution
b) Briefly explain what the consequence would be of
conducting Stage 4 before Stage 3?
Many solutions will be developed and tested; a lot more resources are
required and/or finishing the project on time/budget is jeopardized
Note: could also mention: there is a better chance for a strong final solution
(i.e. spending more time developing each idea)
22. Give an example of each type of prototype listed below that could potentially be related to the
cardboard chair project (whether or not your team used this type of prototype).
Stage 1 focused This should be a prototype that is limited in its use, scope, or
prototype functionality. It could come at any point in the process (but
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would tend to come earlier), and it could be physical or
virtual.

Sketch of chair or aesthetics pattern

Cardboard strength/bending test

Sketch
or
calculation
of
chair
dimensional
requirements

Calculations of weights or loads

Simple experiment to test material or structure
strength or properties
This should be a prototype that does not physically exist, but
represents the chair in some way.
Stage 2 virtual
prototype

Sketch of chair concept

CAD model of the chair

Simulation of chair performance

Calculation of chair weight capacity
This
is
something
that
captures
all
of
the
features,
functionality, and physical characteristics of the final chair.
Unless a full-featured virtual reality model is described, it
Stage 4
comprehensive needs to be physical. To be comprehensive, it should be nearprototype
complete.

Scale model chair in cardboard

Near-complete chair for final testing
23. Considering a hydroelectric dam, place an “X” beside each option below that would increase the
total energy generated in one year. Assume all other parameters remain unchanged in each
option. Include a brief justification of your reasoning for each row (not just rows with an “X”).
Increase
Option
energy Justification
Increase the number of
Does not change average flowrate over the year
turbines (and penstocks)
(i.e. the river is still the same)
Increase the reservoir width
Does not change average flowrate
and length
Lower the turbine elevation
X
Increases potential energy & kinetic energy for
relative to reservoir surface
given flowrate
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24. UBC is offering e-scooter rentals at discounted rates for students to commute across its large
campus. For the causal loop diagram below
a) Indicate the missing polarities directly in the diagram
b) How many loops of each type are in the diagram? balancing = 2 reinforcing = 2
+
Attractiveness of
e-scooter use
Number of
e-scooters available
+
+
+
e-scooter
ridership
Commute time on
campus
-
Productivity
-
+
e-scooter program
revenue
e-scooter rental
cost
+
+
Demand for
e-scooter rental -
+
Amount of personal
time
+
Mental and physical
wellness
25. In a given design project six ideas were generated. Put an “X” in the right column beside the TWO
(2) ideas most likely to be screened. State what you would recommend this team do next.
Idea Requirements Met
Screened
Meets
6
requirements;
fails
1
by
a
small
margin
1
X
2
Meets 7 requirements; looks expensive to build
3
Meets 7 requirements; looks like it will rank very poorly
4
Meets 4 requirements by a very small margin, and 3 by large margin
5
Greatly exceeds 6 requirements by a very large margin; fails 1 requirement
6
Meets 7 requirements; no one on the team likes this idea
X
Recommended next step?
See if the requirements can be addressed for screened concepts; if not, see if
there are any aspects of these ideas that can be used
Part 3 Scenario Questions (10 marks)
Answer all questions in the spaces provided. The size of the answer boxes should guide you to how
detailed your response should be - work outside the boxes will NOT be graded. For full marks, answers
need to be clear, concise, and legible.
26. The WDM below was constructed after engineers considered multiple viewpoints from
stakeholder consultations. Two solution options are being considered for small power plants to
address an energy deficiency problem in a small community.
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Criteria
Weight
Impact on neighborhood aesthetics
Community well‐being
Career training opportunities for
community members
20
50
Raw
Score
5
8
40
7
Option 1
Weighted
score
1.0
4.0
Raw
Score
4
8
2.8
Option 2
Weighted
score
0.8
4.0
6
2.4
Total
7.8
a) What is one error that was made in implementing the WDM above? (1 mark)
7.2
Weights add to more than 100, 20+40+50=110
b) What effect does the error you identified in a) have on the recommendation? (1 mark)
No effect. This just scales all total scores higher by 10%.
OR
No effect. No matter where weight is removed, option 1 will still remain
the highest.
c) What would be your first recommendation to improve the criteria used in this WDM? (2 marks)
Criteria focus on social aspects with no environmental aspects. Should verify
all key stakeholders and scales have been considered and/or re-consult
stakeholders.
d) Imagine the third criterion is scored according to a linear scale, between the range of 20 and 200
training opportunities per year. If new information reveals that Option 1 provides 90 opportunities
per year, what are the adjusted raw, weighted, and total scores for that option? (3 marks)
4
Adjusted raw score
20 = low = 0/10; 200 = high = 10/10
(90-20)/(200-20) = 70/180
= 39% = 4/10
Adjusted weighted score 1.6
Adjusted total score 6.6
(40% x 4 = 1.6)
(5 + 1.6 = 6.6)
e) Are considerations of scale effectively represented in this WDM? If so, explain how in the space
provided. If not, explain what the engineers could do to include considerations of scale. (3 marks)
Considerations of scale represented? (circle your choice): yes
Explanation with your choice:
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no
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Either yes or no above acceptable, depending on explanation, however
no is more likely.
Example for “yes”

(Spatial) Options considered have impact larger than the
community
scale
&
(temporal)
Community
engagement
happens right now and is an investment into the future
Example for “no”

(Spatial) all criteria consider the local community only &
(temporal) criteria do not include future OR (organizational)
municipal/provincial/federal government not considered
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