PHIL 482 Final Practice Questions with
answers
NASA managers who made the final decision to launch the Challenger...
|| || || || || || || || || ||
A. Disregarded the concerns initially expressed by Thiokol, and decided to
|| || || || || || || || || ||
launch anyway
|| ||
B. Discussed the increased risk with the shuttle commander before making
|| || || || || || || || || ||
the decision to launch
|| || || ||
C. Decided to launch after a secondary engineering evaluation of the effect of
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
low temperature on the SRB seals indicated there was minimal risk
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
D. Did not know the initial no-launch decision by Thiokol
|| || || || || || || || ||
E. None of these - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔D: Did not know the initial no-
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
launch decision by Thiokol || || ||
By testifying about the questionable process that led up to the decision to
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
launch Challenger, Roger Biosjoly was exercising which type of ethics?
|| || || || || || || || || ||
A. Aspirational
||
B. Prohibitive
||
C. Cost/Benefit
||
D. Preventive - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔D: Preventive
|| || || || || ||
What is the hallmark of a proper engineering decision?
|| || || || || || || ||
A. Involves technical manners or affects public health, safety, or welfare
|| || || || || || || || || ||
B. Has been so designated by appropriate management-level personnel
|| || || || || || || ||
,C. Involves costs below a certain specified level
|| || || || || || ||
D. Does not negatively impact corporate goals
|| || || || || ||
E. All of these - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A: Involves technical manners or
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
affects public health, safety, or welfare
|| || || || || ||
Thiokol's concern about low temperatures centered on...
|| || || || || ||
A. All of these
|| || ||
B. The extra weight of ice on the vehicle would create problems
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
C. The low temperatures would impair the sealing function of the polymer o-
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
ring seal ||
D. The risk that ice on the vehicle or tower would break loose and impact the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
vehicle
||
E. The low temperatures would cause problems for instrumentation designed
|| || || || || || || || ||
to monitor the seal function - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔C: The low
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
temperatures would impair the sealing function of the polymer o-ring seal
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
What are the characteristics of a proper management decision?
|| || || || || || || ||
A. Can be made very quickly by someone trained to make decisions
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
B. Does not force engineers to make unacceptable compromises with their
|| || || || || || || || || ||
own technical or ethical standards
|| || || || ||
C. Has been designated management responsibility by the CEO
|| || || || || || || ||
D. Involves cost increases above some predetermined level
|| || || || || || ||
E. Does not require computation tools more complicated than a spreadsheet -
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔B: Does not force engineers to make unacceptable
|| || || || || || || || || ||
compromises with their own technical or ethical standards
|| || || || || || || ||
, The cause of Columbia's breakup during reentry was determined to be...
|| || || || || || || || || ||
A. Hot gases entering a breach in the wing leading edge and destroying the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
structural integrity of the wing
|| || || || ||
B. None of these
|| || ||
C. Increased drag on the damaged left wing that caused a catastrophic
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
domino-effect
||
D. Impact of a briefcase-sized piece of foam that destroyed the wing leading
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
edge and the main spar in the left wing
|| || || || || || || || ||
E. Fatigue in the carbon fiber leading edge after microcracks were induced by
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
foam impact - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A: Hot gases entering a breach in the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
wing leading edge and destroying the structural integrity of the wing
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
One factor in the foam shedding was the result of...
|| || || || || || || || ||
A. Defects resulting from a non-optimal design, because the bipod structure
|| || || || || || || || || ||
and foam application processes were designed separately
|| || || || || || ||
B. Substandard methods used to qualify the bipod ramp design
|| || || || || || || || ||
C. Negligence resulting in the excessive application of the bonding enhancer,
|| || || || || || || || || ||
Conathane
||
D. Isotropic material properties of the foam insulation
|| || || || || || ||
E. None of these - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A: Defects resulting from a non-
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
optimal design, because the bipod structure and foam application processes
|| || || || || || || || ||
were designed separately
|| || ||
The term 'organizational culture' refers to the basic values, norms, beliefs,
|| || || || || || || || || ||
and practices shared across institutions within a profession (T/F) - CORRECT
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
ANSWERS ✔✔False
|| ||
answers
NASA managers who made the final decision to launch the Challenger...
|| || || || || || || || || ||
A. Disregarded the concerns initially expressed by Thiokol, and decided to
|| || || || || || || || || ||
launch anyway
|| ||
B. Discussed the increased risk with the shuttle commander before making
|| || || || || || || || || ||
the decision to launch
|| || || ||
C. Decided to launch after a secondary engineering evaluation of the effect of
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
low temperature on the SRB seals indicated there was minimal risk
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
D. Did not know the initial no-launch decision by Thiokol
|| || || || || || || || ||
E. None of these - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔D: Did not know the initial no-
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
launch decision by Thiokol || || ||
By testifying about the questionable process that led up to the decision to
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
launch Challenger, Roger Biosjoly was exercising which type of ethics?
|| || || || || || || || || ||
A. Aspirational
||
B. Prohibitive
||
C. Cost/Benefit
||
D. Preventive - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔D: Preventive
|| || || || || ||
What is the hallmark of a proper engineering decision?
|| || || || || || || ||
A. Involves technical manners or affects public health, safety, or welfare
|| || || || || || || || || ||
B. Has been so designated by appropriate management-level personnel
|| || || || || || || ||
,C. Involves costs below a certain specified level
|| || || || || || ||
D. Does not negatively impact corporate goals
|| || || || || ||
E. All of these - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A: Involves technical manners or
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
affects public health, safety, or welfare
|| || || || || ||
Thiokol's concern about low temperatures centered on...
|| || || || || ||
A. All of these
|| || ||
B. The extra weight of ice on the vehicle would create problems
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
C. The low temperatures would impair the sealing function of the polymer o-
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
ring seal ||
D. The risk that ice on the vehicle or tower would break loose and impact the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
vehicle
||
E. The low temperatures would cause problems for instrumentation designed
|| || || || || || || || ||
to monitor the seal function - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔C: The low
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
temperatures would impair the sealing function of the polymer o-ring seal
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
What are the characteristics of a proper management decision?
|| || || || || || || ||
A. Can be made very quickly by someone trained to make decisions
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
B. Does not force engineers to make unacceptable compromises with their
|| || || || || || || || || ||
own technical or ethical standards
|| || || || ||
C. Has been designated management responsibility by the CEO
|| || || || || || || ||
D. Involves cost increases above some predetermined level
|| || || || || || ||
E. Does not require computation tools more complicated than a spreadsheet -
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔B: Does not force engineers to make unacceptable
|| || || || || || || || || ||
compromises with their own technical or ethical standards
|| || || || || || || ||
, The cause of Columbia's breakup during reentry was determined to be...
|| || || || || || || || || ||
A. Hot gases entering a breach in the wing leading edge and destroying the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
structural integrity of the wing
|| || || || ||
B. None of these
|| || ||
C. Increased drag on the damaged left wing that caused a catastrophic
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
domino-effect
||
D. Impact of a briefcase-sized piece of foam that destroyed the wing leading
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
edge and the main spar in the left wing
|| || || || || || || || ||
E. Fatigue in the carbon fiber leading edge after microcracks were induced by
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
foam impact - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A: Hot gases entering a breach in the
|| || || || || || || || || || || || ||
wing leading edge and destroying the structural integrity of the wing
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
One factor in the foam shedding was the result of...
|| || || || || || || || ||
A. Defects resulting from a non-optimal design, because the bipod structure
|| || || || || || || || || ||
and foam application processes were designed separately
|| || || || || || ||
B. Substandard methods used to qualify the bipod ramp design
|| || || || || || || || ||
C. Negligence resulting in the excessive application of the bonding enhancer,
|| || || || || || || || || ||
Conathane
||
D. Isotropic material properties of the foam insulation
|| || || || || || ||
E. None of these - CORRECT ANSWERS ✔✔A: Defects resulting from a non-
|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
optimal design, because the bipod structure and foam application processes
|| || || || || || || || ||
were designed separately
|| || ||
The term 'organizational culture' refers to the basic values, norms, beliefs,
|| || || || || || || || || ||
and practices shared across institutions within a profession (T/F) - CORRECT
|| || || || || || || || || || ||
ANSWERS ✔✔False
|| ||
