Engineering Design Flashcards
What is “natural philosophy”? Mark all correct options.
a) The predecessor of modern science.
b) The branch of philosophy that focuses on engineering.
c) The branch of philosophy that focuses on the human nature.
d) It includes both scientific and philosophical questions in modern terminology.
Answer: a),d)
Contrast science and engineering in terms of the way they traditionally acquired and transmitted knowledge. Mark all correct options.
a) Knowledge in natural philosophy was transmitted through books and lectures.
b) Engineering methods used to be developed locally by trial and error.
c) Engineering textbooks have been one of the main ways of transmitting engineering knowledge at least since medieval times.
d) Working under a master stonemason on constructing an aqueduct, while learning the craft from him, was a typical way of becoming an engineer.
e) Natural philosophy generally transmitted knowledge in a way similar to engineering.
f) Engineering methods have always been centralized and developed systematically.
Answer: a),b),d)
Which of the following belong to the three principles that distinguish technical artefacts from non-artefacts? Mark all correct options.
a) Technical artefacts have their physical properties in virtue of their function.
b) Technical artefacts fulfil a certain function.
c) Technical artefacts realize their functions in virtue of their physical properties.
d) Technical artefacts are material objects.
Answer: b),c),d)
General Feedback
Hint: technical artefacts are actually a sub-category of artefacts, hence, any properties of artefacts in general are also properties of tecnical artefacts.
What is meant with the “dual nature” of artefacts? Mark all correct options.
a) It concerns the physical properties and the functions of the artefacts.
b) It entails that artefacts can be completely characterized by their functions.
c) It means that artefacts are characterized by two things, one of which can be reduced to the other.
d) It entails that artefacts cannot be characterized only by their physical properties.
Answer: a), d)
General Feedback
Dual nature: technical artefacts are characterized both by their physical properties and by their intended functions
What is the incidental use of an object? Mark all correct options.
a) Using a saw to cut off a plank is an example of incidental use.
b) The incidental use of an artefact is the use that the designer intended for it.
c) The incidental use of an artefact is not the use that the designer intended for it.
d) Using a book as a plant press is an example of incidental use.
Answer: c), d)
What is the distinction between functional ascription and functional assignment? Mark all correct options.
a) When Alice uses the coin to tighten the screw, she ascribes it the function of ‘screw turner’.
b) When Alice uses the coin to tighten the screw, she assigns it the function of ‘screw turner’.
c) If an artefact gets its function by ascription, then it can meaningfully be seen as misused.
d) An artefact can be ascribed a function that it was not designed to fulfil.
e) An artefact gets its functional assignment by the engineer who designs it.
Answer: a),d),e)
Which of the following are examples of artefact misuse? Mark all correct options.
a) Using a telescope to observe the moon is an example of artefact misuse.
b) Using a library card to try to get through the subway entry gates is an example of artefact misuse.
c) Using a gun to kill someone is an example of artefact misuse.
d) Using your colleague’s equipment instead of your own is an example of artefact misuse.
Answer: b)
Under which condition does assignment establish a stronger normative claim about an artefact? Mark the correct option.
a) When the assignment is done by nature.
b) When users have no doubt about what function is assigned to the artefact.
c) When the assignment is done by the user.
d) When the assignment is done by the designer.
Answer: d)
Which of these questions need to be answered in the process of designing a device? Mark all correct options.
a) What functions should the device satisfy?
b) What scientific theories govern the functions of the device?
c) How can the device be produced?
d) What physical structures can satisfy the functions?
e) What is the profit of a successful version of the device?
Answer: a),c),d)
What kinds of knowledge occur in the design process but are not scientific knowledge? Mark all correct options.
a) Knowledge about general principles
b) Organizing theory and data around natural kinds
c) Knowledge about functional demands
d) Device- or context-specific knowledge
e) Non-specific knowledge aimed at understanding and explanation
f) Only knowledge about devices that are still useful
g) Organizing theory and data around functional kinds
Answer: c),d),f), g)
What does the strategy of functional decomposition consist in? Mark all correct options.
a) Applying existing solutions to the subfunctions when appropriate.
b) Interpreting the function as part of a larger function with an existing solution.
c) Coming up with new solutions for each subfunction.
d) Analysing the function into several subfunctions.
Answer: a), d)
Suppose that you are designing a technical artefact and have identified a subfunction that lacks a standard solution. Which of the following is the best example of blind variation? Mark the correct option.
a) You blind yourself by not using any theoretical or empirical knowledge about what solutions might work or not. Instead, you make analogies to other technical artefacts to get an idea of solutions that might work. After that, you pick one of those solutions randomly and vary over the different subfunctions to see for which one it works.
b) Since there is no standard solution, you are blind to what solution will work. You utilize your theoretical and empirical knowledge to exclude solutions that won’t work. You then make analogies to other technical artefacts to get an idea of solutions that might work. After that, you vary over those solutions to see how well they work for the artefact that you are designing.
Answer: b)
