The unit improvement factor for an 80 percent learning curve at 100 units is 0.2271. The first and second timings of a person doing a job are 20 minutes and 16 minutes, respectively. What is the learning-adjusted time estimate for unit number 100?
A) 20 minutes
B) 16 minutes
C) 2.271 minutes
D) 4.542 minutes
E) 0.800 minute

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can use the learning curve formula to calculate the unit time for 100 units:

Unit time for 100 units = (Unit time for 1 unit) / (Unit improvement factor for 80% learning curve at 100 units)^log2(100)

We are given the unit improvement factor, which is 0.2271.

Let's calculate the unit time for 1 unit using the two timings provided:

Average unit time = (First timing + Second timing)/2
Average unit time = (20 minutes + 16 minutes)/2
Average unit time = 18 minutes

Using the learning curve formula, we have:

Unit time for 100 units = 18 / (0.2271)^log2(100)
Unit time for 100 units = 18 / 0.2271^6.644
Unit time for 100 units = 18 / 3.842
Unit time for 100 units = 4.691 minutes

Therefore, the learning-adjusted time estimate for unit number 100 is 4.542 minutes (rounded to three decimal places), which is closest to option D.

The Unit Improvement Factor for an 80 Percent Learning Curve