Question 1

You time someone completing a single task the first time at 100 minutes and the second time they do the task it takes 90 minutes.You should use a 90 percent learning curve to estimate the length of time this worker will take to complete this task in the future.

Accepted Answer

A 90 percent learning curve means that each time the worker completes the task, they will take 90 percent of the time they took the previous time. Using this formula, we can estimate that the third time the worker does the task, it will take 81 minutes (90% of 90 minutes). The fourth time, it will take 72.9 minutes (90% of 81 minutes), and so on. This assumes that the worker is fully experienced and has reached their optimal performance level.

Question 2

The unit improvement factor is not as useful as the learning curve statistics in adjusting time estimates for learning.

Accepted Answer

False

Question 3

An assumption of learning curves is that the time required to complete a unit will increase at an increasing rate as the cumulative number of units completed increases.

Accepted Answer

The assumption of learning curves is actually that the time required to complete a unit will decrease at a decreasing rate as the cumulative number of units completed increases. This is due to the increasing efficiency and skill of the person or team completing the units as they gain more experience.

Question 4

A learning curve is a line displaying the way unit production time decreases as time passes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A learning curve is a line displaying...

Question 5

An assumption of learning curves is that the time required to complete a unit will decrease at a decreasing rate as the cumulative number of units completed increases.

Accepted Answer

This is the basic assumption of learning curves, which states that as cumulative units increase, the improvement rate will decrease at a decreasing rate. This means that with each repetition, less and less time is needed to complete the unit, but the rate of improvement declines over time.

Question 6

The unit improvement factor for a 60% learning curve at 25 units is 0.0933.The first and second timings of a person doing a job are 10 minutes and 6 minutes respectively.The learning-adjusted time estimate for the unit number 25 is 0.9330 minutes.

Accepted Answer

The learning-adjusted time estimate for a unit is calculated by multiplying the standard time for that unit by the unit improvement factor. In this case, the learning-adjusted time estimate for unit number 25 is:

Learning-adjusted time estimate = standard time x unit improvement factor
Learning-adjusted time estimate = 10 minutes x (0.6^0.0933/0.25) = 0.9330 minutes

Therefore, the statement is true.

Question 7

An assumption of learning curves is that the time required to complete a unit will decrease at an increasing rate as the cumulative number of units completed increases.

Accepted Answer

The assumption of learning curves is that the time required to complete a unit will decrease at a decreasing rate as the cumulative number of units completed increases, reflecting efficiency improvements that taper off over time.

Question 8

A learning curve shows the increase in time required for each successive unit completed.

Accepted Answer

A learning curve shows the decrease in time required for each successive unit completed, as workers become more efficient with experience.

Question 9

Learning curves only estimate the learning rates of individuals.

Accepted Answer

Learning curves estimate the learning rates of a group of individuals, not just one individual.

Question 10

A learning curve is a line displaying the relationship between unit production time and the cumulative number of units produced.

Accepted Answer

This is the correct definition of a learning curve. It helps to show how the production time decreases as more units are produced due to improvements in efficiency and skill.

Question 11

A learning curve shows the decrease in time required for each successive unit completed.

Accepted Answer

A learning curve demonstrates a decrease in the time required for each successive unit completed, typically due to increased experience and efficiency.

Question 12

Learning curves have a wide range of business applications.

Accepted Answer

Learning curves can be used in various business applications including forecasting, cost analysis, process improvement, and productivity evaluation.

Question 13

You time someone completing a single task the first time at 10 minutes and the second time they do the task it takes 9 minutes.You should use an 80 percent learning curve to estimate the length of time this worker will take to complete this task in the future.

Accepted Answer

According to the 80 percent learning curve, the time for the second performance should be 80% of the time for the first performance. However, in this case, the time for the second performance is actually faster than the 80 percent learning curve prediction. Therefore, it is not appropriate to use the 80 percent learning curve to estimate the time for future performances. A different approach should be used, such as calculating the average of the two recorded times or observing more repetitions to establish a more accurate pattern of learning.

Question 14

If a person performing a task has been achieving a 95 percent learning curve and you know that the task will end after the 100^th unit,the last unit produced will take 71.12 percent as much time as the first unit.

Accepted Answer

Based on the information given, we know that the task follows a 95 percent learning curve and will end after 100 units. Using the learning curve formula, we can calculate that it will take 71.12 percent as much time to produce the 100th unit as it did to produce the first unit. Therefore, the statement in the question is true.

Question 15

Learning curves can be applied to individuals and to organizations.

Accepted Answer

Learning curves can be used to track an individual's progress and improvement over time, as well as an organization's overall progress in mastering a new skill or process.

Question 16

The unit improvement factor for a 60% learning curve at 25 units is 0.0933.The first and second timings of a person doing a job are 5 minutes and 3 minutes respectively.The learning-adjusted time estimate for the unit number 25 is 0.0933 minutes.

Accepted Answer

The unit improvement factor of 0.0933 for a 60% learning curve at 25 units is a multiplier, not the actual time. The learning-adjusted time estimate would be calculated by multiplying the initial time by this factor, not equating it directly to 0.0933 minutes.

Question 17

You time someone completing a single task the first time at 100 minutes and the fourth time they do the task it takes 81 minutes.You should use a 90 percent learning curve to estimate the length of time this worker will take to complete this task in the future.

Accepted Answer

A 90 percent learning curve means that every time the worker completes the task, they will improve by 90 percent of their previous time. Using this information, the time it takes for the worker to complete the task the second time can be estimated to be 90% of 100 minutes, or 90 minutes. The time for the third completion can be estimated to be 90% of 90 minutes, or 81 minutes. This matches the actual time for the fourth completion, which was given in the problem. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the worker will continue to follow the 90 percent learning curve and complete the task in less time each subsequent completion.

Question 18

You time someone completing a single task the first time at 120 minutes and the second time they do the task it takes 108 minutes.You should use a 90 percent Learning Curve to estimate the length of time this worker will take to complete this task in the future.

Accepted Answer

A 90% learning curve suggests that each time the task is repeated, the time taken is reduced to 90% of the previous time. The reduction from 120 minutes to 108 minutes is consistent with a 90% learning curve (108 is 90% of 120).

Question 19

On a learning curve plot,the time per unit is usually displayed on the vertical axis.

Accepted Answer

The time per unit is typically displayed on the vertical axis of a learning curve plot, while the number of units produced or the cumulative production is displayed on the horizontal axis.

Question 20

You time someone completing a single task the first time at 100 minutes and the fourth time they do the task it takes 81 minutes.You should use an 81 percent learning curve to estimate the length of time this worker will take to complete this task in the future.

Accepted Answer

Without knowing the exact number of trials and the completion times for each trial, we cannot accurately predict the length of time for future completions using the learning curve. Additionally, the learning curve assumes that each subsequent task completion time will decrease by a constant percentage, which may not always be the case. Therefore, we cannot use the information given to estimate the length of time this worker will take to complete the task in the future.

Quiz 22: Learning Curves