Engineering Studies 2022 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• avoid simply re-stating the question in their response
• have a clear understanding of key terminology in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• engage with any stimulus material provided and refer to it in the response
• communicate ideas and information using relevant examples
• expect to perform some mathematical functions, interpret data/graphs/tables and assess information for accuracy, reliability and/or validity
• consider using graphical solutions if appropriate
• review their response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements
• include all working in calculation responses, and set these out in a logical manner
• be familiar with relevant engineering terminology and use correctly to enhance their answers
• use correct materials terminology when speaking about engineering materials, for example, most uses of aluminium are in alloyed form so students should be writing ‘aluminium alloys’ to make it clear they understand aluminium is being used in an alloyed form
• calculate the area of circle using the formula pd²/4, because in Engineering Studies using diameters as opposed to radii in calculation problems is more common
• ensure the use of appropriate drawing equipment to maximise their performance all drawing questions across the examination.

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• explain the effect of rapidly cooling the glass exterior in compression and the interior in tension, therefore toughening the sheet of glass (ai)
• recognise that toughened glass is the result of a heat or chemical treatment process (ai)
• describe that the normal piece of float glass had to be placed across the mould prior to heating, and that the heating process allowed the windscreen to slowly sag to the shape of the mould which was primarily an adjustable frame, therefore not touching the area needing to be optically clear (aii)
• acknowledge that the glass was left to air cool slowly after shaping and before being removed from the mould (aii)
• accurately apply dimensions to a drawing including a chamfer, radius and a diameter in accordance with AS 1100 standards (b)
• use correct symbols of R for radius and Ø for diameter (b)
• identify that partially drawn circles and curves are dimensioned as a radius and full circles are dimensioned as a diameter (b)
• correctly position and/or orientate and position the dimension number, symbols and leader lines (b)
• effectively place arrowheads accurately and to AS 1100 specifications (b)
• correctly identify VR as the number of ropes supporting the load (c)
• calculate the MA using the VR and efficiency, and then use this to calculate the load (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• being able to describe the process of creating toughened glass (ai)
• understanding that laminated glass is not toughened glass (ai)
• recognising that laminating glass is a process after the heating and curving of windscreen glass (aii)
• understanding that pressing or vacuum forming into a mould is not part of windscreen production due to loss of optical clarity (aii)
• avoiding confusion of glass treatment processes with the forming metals or polymers, for example, injection moulding (aii)
• having knowledge of AS1100 dimensioning specifications and its application (b)
• using special dimensioning lines such as projection, dimension and leader (b)
• correctly applying special dimensions such as the chamfer (b)
• knowing how to arrange and orient dimensions onto an orthogonal drawing (b)
• understanding the three steps to determine the effort in the correct order (c)
• understanding the interrelationship of VR, MA and efficiency on the block and tackle (c).

Question 22

In better responses, students were able to:

• focus on telecommunication issues and provide responses specific to a telecommunications engineer, not engineers in general (a)
• discuss ethical issues arising if the information is misused or not stored securely, as it can be used to track the location of a specific individual (a)
• discuss positive and negative situations and application for the location tracking function, for example, place and time of a major accident and the contact of emergency services automatically (a)
• discuss that information gathered may also be beneficial in the early detection of heart problems (a)
• extract given information from the question to decipher logical inputs, and were able to use the conditions and key words to assign inputs and select appropriate logic gates (b)
• draw a clear diagram with correct inputs, logic gates and outputs, all linked correctly (b)
• justify material selections in relation to the requirements of a smartwatch for hardness, toughness, heat resistance and corrosion resistance (c)
• use correct engineering terminology of material properties when justifying material selection (c)
• connect a material property with a service condition, such as corrosion resistance with exposure to sweat and/or water (c)
• draw a pictorial sketch rather than copy one of the orthogonal views or an auxiliary view from the direction of the arrow (d)
• recognise the relationship between orthogonal and pictorial drawings, setting up three isometric (or equivalent) axes that allowed appropriate projection and proportion of the drawing (d)
• recognise key features such as buttons and incorporate the finer details of fillets, rounded corners, depth to buttons and a slightly raised screen (d).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the legal and social implications for telecommunications engineers (a)
• understanding the function of different types of logic gates and how to apply them to a situation (b)
• separating simple economic consideration from engineering considerations (c)
• using engineering terminology to explain material properties/knowing definitions of material properties (c)
• understanding pictorial drawing techniques and how to apply them to represent an object (d).

Question 23

In better responses, students were able to:

• apply their understanding of the mechanical and other material properties of laminated veneer lumber compared to those of steel (a)
• use scaled vector diagrams to find two unknown forces (b)
• describe how the process of rolling deforms the crystal structure of steel (c)
• explain the cause and effect of recrystallisation when hot rolling steel (c)
• produce a shear force diagram by calculating an unknown reaction (d)
• derive the bending moment diagram from the area under the shear force diagram, or calculate bending moments at key locations (d).

Areas for students to improve include:

• differentiating engineered timbers including plywood and glulam (a)
• using graphical methods rather than analytical methods to analyse and solve problems of engineering practice (b)
• drawing and labelling microstructures (c)
• differentiating between microstructural changes and the dimensional or surface changes of the rolled beam (c)
• reading the question carefully and responding to the Shear Force diagram provided (d)
• correctly labelling their graphs in case they have plotted the points inaccurately (d)
• understanding that for a simply supported beam, both the shear force and bending moment diagram start and finish at zero (d)
• projecting down from the free body diagram to plot their shear force and bending moment diagrams (d).

Question 24

In better responses, students were able to:

• clearly identify the method of producing the actual physical or virtual prototype and then outline benefits of using that method to produce the propellor (a)
• provide a well-structured argument for using a particular prototyping method (a)
• provide more than one benefit for the chosen method (a)
• clearly identify a relevant form of corrosion and explain in detail how it occurred (b)
• identify the type of corrosion shown in the image and then explain the mechanism of corrosion they identified (b)
• identify the screw as the anode and the sheet as the cathode in a galvanic reaction (b)
• label and construct a free body diagram including lift, drag and weight forces (ci)
• identify the components of weight force that balance lift and drag (cii)
• correctly calculate the mass of the glider by using the sum of forces method (cii)
• use trigonometric calculations and demonstrated understanding of the difference between weight and mass (cii)
• correctly calculate the lift to drag ratio analysing vectors or through summation of forces (ciii)
• determine the lift to drag ratio by realising in unpowered flight the lift to drag ratio is 1/tan𝜃 (ciii).

Areas for students to improve include:

• producing a structured response that addresses the question fully (a)
• understanding the features available in CAD as a prototype solution (a)
• deepening their understanding of different forms of corrosion and how they apply to different contexts (b)
• being familiar with the technical terms of different types of corrosion and being able to explain the mechanism of each type of corrosion (b)
• making better use of the free body diagram to solve the equation (ci)
• developing their understanding of the method of summing forces using the correct trigonometric ratios (cii)
• constructing a force polygon from the free-body diagram and applying trigonometric ratios (or graphical solutions) to find the value for weight and drag (cii)
• applying a graphical method to solve a vector related problem (ciii)
• applying a force triangle to more easily understand how lift and drag relate to each other (ciii).

Question 25

In better responses, students were able to:

• name and describe the procedure for a specific insulation test and an appropriate testing tool (a)
• differentiate between testing of insulation on cables and testing electrical conductivity or resistivity in the conductor (a)
• demonstrate a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of Australian Standards AS 1100 for engineering drawings (b)
• demonstrate knowledge of offset sections and sectioning rules (b)
• use correct lines appropriately (b)
• project lines across different views (b)
• demonstrate an understanding of hollow sections (b)
• comprehensively discuss and give specific examples of the difference between mechanics and hydraulics (c)
• link current innovation that has been developed over time to hydraulics and mechanical concepts (c)
• clearly articulate and explain their ideas for both mechanics and hydraulics (c)
• relate their understanding of mechanics and hydraulics with design and performance (c)
• use specific examples (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• developing a broader use of specific terminology (a)
• developing knowledge of general terms of electronics and electrical concepts (a)
• understanding how insulation helps to protect cabling and people (a)
• demonstrating knowledge of AS 1100, in particular sectioning rules with regard to offsets or partial sections (b)
• interpreting 3D pictorial representations and transferring features to a 2D orthographic projection with an offset section (b)
• understanding when parts are considered adjacent and when to vary sectioning lines (b)
• demonstrating an understanding of the use of hidden detail lines and solid lines when used to depict features in an engineering drawing (b)
• interpreting various drawing symbols used in sectioned components (b)
• developing a broader range of specific vocabulary (c)
• linking hydraulics and mechanics to aircraft design, clearly differentiating between the two terms (c)
• using specific examples to support their explanation of how mechanics and hydraulics contribute to aircraft design (c)
• understanding the difference between hydraulics and pneumatics (c).

Question 26

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify a point from which an equilibrium equation could be applied (ai)
• assign distance measurements from the diagram correctly (ai)
• correctly use moments about a common point to calculate a balancing force (ai)
• equate a weight force with a corresponding number of blocks (ai)
• determine horizontal and vertical components of an inclined force (aii)
• apply appropriate methods, including moments and conditions of equilibrium, to analyse forces on a loaded truss and determine unknown reaction forces (aii)
• use method of sections to determine the magnitude and nature of an internal force in a loaded truss (aii)
• recognise appropriate innovations in the development of electric transport that have contributed to lower emissions (b)
• provide characteristics and features of innovations in electric transport (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• identifying an appropriate point about which to apply moments (ai)
• equating a force to known masses (ai)
• considering the turning effect of all external forces when determining reactions (aii)
• applying an appropriate method to determine the internal force on a truss member (aii)
• accounting for the sense of moments created by external loads (aii)
• specifying innovations that are unique to electric transport (b)
• describing more than one appropriate innovation (b)
• avoiding the use of generalised statements (b).

Question 27

In better responses, students were able to:

• correctly apply the key term ‘describe’ for the uses of polymers in telecommunications (a)
• give a clear description of at least two different uses of polymers in telecommunications and provide appropriate detail, for example, thermal or electrical insulation rather than a more generic insulation (a)
• expand on differences in the uses of polymers in telecommunications by referring to the mechanical, physical and service properties, as well as functional and aesthetic features (a)
• construct a correct half-development of the transition piece with a correct triangulation technique (b)
• use an appropriate method to construct accurate true length lines (b)
• label constructed points to correspond with orthographic views (b)
• show the line of symmetry (b)
• correctly incorporate appropriate line types in the construction (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• ensuring two different uses of polymers in telecommunications are clearly described (a)
• scaffolding the response to firstly identify two uses of polymers, then describing each use with respect to a telecommunications product, service, environment or process (a)
• describing the properties of specific polymers used in telecommunications rather than using more generic terms such as plastic and rubber to describe polymers (a)
• correctly determining the true length of non-true length lines (b)
• correctly positioning all panels of the half-development with the correct orientation and connecting edges (b)
• showing triangulation construction points (b)
• starting the drawing from the given line a1 (b)
• using AS 1100 Standards for the purpose of presenting outlines, fold lines, construction lines and lines of symmetry in a half-development (b).