Engineering Studies 2024 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 mechanics 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 it 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 πd²/4, 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 in all drawing questions across the examination.

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• use the stimulus images to identify innovations in engineering materials and outline how they have improved the inservice properties of piers (a)
• explain why geotextiles are used in retaining walls with regards to filtration, separation, reinforcement functions and erosion/degradation (b)
• use the correct stress formula to calculate shear area and then determine the thickness of the strap bracing (c)
• use appropriate units and orders of magnitude when calculating the thickness of the bracing strap (c)
• recognise AS1100 standards and use correct terminology to complete the table, by interpreting information presented in the orthogonal drawing (d).

Areas for students to improve include:

• using higher order terminology, rather than general engineering terms such as strength, toughness, hardness (a)
• explaining why geotextiles are used with reference to relevant properties, many students could not explain the implications these properties have on retaining walls, simply identifying properties (b)
• setting out all stress calculations logically with appropriate use of units (c)
• deepening their understanding of AS1100 standards and how they are used in orthogonal drawings to communicate information (d).

Question 22

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline several areas of environmental responsibility, such as noise and air pollution, sustainability, recycling and aircraft efficiency (a)
• identify variables, draw a free body diagram, realise that the aircraft was in level flight and recognise that thrust was equal to drag (b)
• manipulate the lift to drag equation and hence determine the resultant weight of the pilot and passengers (b)
• discuss several aeronautical uses for computer-aided drawing (CAD), such as prototyping, modelling, virtual testing and simulations, and sharing and collaboration advantages. Some students also discussed negatives of CAD, including cost, training, potential loss of files and cyber security challenges (c)
• understand what fibre metal laminates (FMLs) are, list multiple properties and applications, such as good strength to weight ratio, fatigue resistance and impact resistance, and then describe the structure of the FMLs including the metals used and fibre directionality (d)
• include examples of applications for FMLs including structural components, aircraft surfaces as well as leading edges for impact resistance (d).

Areas for students to improve include:

• outlining appropriate environmental concerns as opposed to obscure issues that the aeronautical engineer does not control, for example, being struck by rocket debris, fuel dumping and runway length (a)
• recognising the aircraft was in straight and level flight, hence no angle was involved in the calculation (b)
• presenting a discussion about CAD as opposed to a list of advantages or uses (c)
• explaining how FMLs improve the structural performance of aircraft as opposed to listing properties or simply describing different aspects of one property like strength to weight ratio (d).

Question 23

In better responses, students were able to:

• outline a detailed use and knowledge of semiconductors, giving a correct example relating to the use outlined. For example, CPUs that operate personal computers, and digital consumer products in everyday life such as smartphones, smart watches, digital cameras, televisions, washing machines, refrigerators (a)
• describe more than one strategy to reduce an identified health and safety risk related to the duties of a telecommunications engineer, and make clear links between the risk identified and the strategies identified (b)
• correctly interpret the orthogonal drawing and appropriately sketch a pictorial drawing, using any pictorial projection method, showing the correct orientation and proportions (c)
• identify and interpret appropriate material information for each situation and correctly link the material, justification and manufacturing method for each component of the phone booth (d)
• use clear, concise and appropriate engineering terminology or properties when justifying the material identified (d).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding the difference between semiconductor components/devices and other electronic components such as resistors, capacitors and transformers (a)
• distinguishing between the use of semiconductors and an example of their use (a)
• describing strategies rather than simply listing identified strategies (b)
• knowing what work health safety in general is for all fields of work and then relate it to the engineering field highlighted in the question (b)
• understanding third angle projection, how to interpret it, and then visualise which edge relates to which surface in a projected view (c)
• recognising how to correctly represent circles and angled surfaces in a pictorial drawing (c)
• using appropriate engineering language not generalisations when justifying materials and manufacturing processes (d)
• deepening their understanding of appropriate materials and where they could be used in practical situations and understanding the manufacturing methods of such materials (d).

Question 24

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate the benefits of impact testing in relation to safety standards, energy efficiency, energy absorption and structural integrity relating to a motorcycle helmet design (a)
• indicate why brushless DC motors are well suited to electric bikes as they can produce higher efficiency and improved performance compared to brushed motors (b)
• articulate why the absence of mechanical brushes can reduce friction and energy loss, and improve longevity and quieter motor life (b)
• apply an appropriate potential energy calculation to determine work and then use time to determine the overall power of the escalator (c)
• explain the necessity of the tempering process, which reduces brittleness, improves toughness and relieves internal stresses induced during quenching.
• draw a correct labelled microstructure of tempered martensite to support the written section of their response (d).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding desirable qualities of toughness, resilience, and durability in relation to impact testing analysis (a)
• explaining concisely, linking cause and effect, and building on limited descriptions such as lightweight, compact, less maintenance and improved torque (b)
• calculating potential energy (PE = mgh) to determine work, and accounting for 10 people to determine all passengers in a final power calculation (c)
• understanding the tempering process of steels and explaining why tempering is needed after hardening (d)
• understanding how to draw an appropriate tempered martensite microstructure and labelling it to support the tempering process of fully hardened steel (d).

Question 25

In better responses, students were able to:

• relate information provided to the safety benefits of ‘Black Box’ flight data recorders, such as how the information collected can prevent future incidents or be used by ground crews for maintenance or how locator beacons can be used by search teams (a)
• calculate the resistance of a circuit with resistors in parallel and in series to determine the total resistance and apply this to Ohm’s Law to determine the current (b)
• calculate the reaction at E by taking the sum of the moments about A, either taking scaled measurements from the drawing or using trigonometry and the properties of a Warren truss (c)
• calculate the internal reaction in CF by taking the sum of vertical forces through a section cutting through CD, CF and GF to find the vertical competent of CF and use this value to determine the magnitude and nature of the internal forces in the member (c)
• produce a scaled vector polygon for the forces acting on joint B, including the externally applied 200 N force and the given 250 N force in compression in member AB (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• understanding of the specific data collected by ‘Black Box’ flight data recorders, such as flight data (including altitude and airspeed) and cockpit voice recordings (a)
• identifying resistors arranged in parallel and including all resistors in their calculation of the total resistance (b)
• recognition of the electromotive force (E) provided as 12 V to calculate the current measured in amperes (b)
• rearranging the Ohm’s Law formula provided E = IR to make current the subject of the equation (b)
• determining the horizontal and vertical components of diagonal forces and remembering to include both in their moment calculations or determining the perpendicular distances of forces when not explicitly provided (c)
• determining the appropriate calculation when using the method of sections to find an internal force, that is, vertical forces, not moments (c)
• determining the magnitude and nature of the internal force based on its vertical component (c)
• understanding how to complete a graphical mechanics solution by creating a vector polygon of the forces acting at a point ensuring that vectors are added head-to-tail and drawn to scale (c).

Question 26

In better responses, students were able to:

• highlight the reduced cost due to less ground-based infrastructure and provide the same services that are available in cities (a)
• create the correct truth table that aligned with the provided scenario, and correctly identify this as a NOR gate (b)
• rule down the vertical forces from the diagram to construct the free body diagram (ci)
• use an appropriate scale for both the shear force diagram and bending moment diagram (cii)
• align the vertical forces from the diagram to construct the shear force diagram and bending moment diagram (cii).

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing specific, multiple, and distinct ways that satellites have benefited people living in rural areas (a)
• identifying the correct logic gate from a truth table (b)
• ensuring that free body diagrams contain values in Newtons (ci)
• showing calculations for their bending moment diagram, either in the available space or extra writing paper (cii).

Question 27

In better responses, students were able to:

• show an understanding of an effective method of corrosion protection for the hitch (a)
• explain hot forging is used as it creates refined, equiaxed grains that flow to the shape of the shear pin thus making it stronger in shear than a machined or cast part or that it removed shear planes because of change to the grain structure (b)
• complete a fully sectioned front view of the assembled tongue and tow ball assembly including correct proportions of parts and correctly applying AS1100 standards by not sectioning the tow ball/bolt, washer and nut (c)
• section the correct parts (tongue and attached box section) using hatching lines at different angle for both parts sectioned (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• outlining a corrosion protection method that is appropriate to the situation (a)
• explaining hot forging (b)
• using the starting lines provided to guide their response, rather than redrawing (c)
• recognising that separate components need hatching lines at different angles to signify they are separate pieces of the assembly (c).