Question 1

You have just timed a person doing a hair cut for the first time.It took 50 minutes.What unit improvement factor learning curve would you use if the person took 35 minutes on the second hair cut?

Accepted Answer

The unit improvement factor learning curve formula is Y = aX^b, where Y is time per unit, X is number of units produced, a is the time for the first unit, and b is the slope of the curve.

We can use the formula to solve for b:

35 = 50 * (2^-b)
0.7 = 2^-b
log(0.7) = log(2^-b)
log(0.7) = -b * log(2)
b = -log(0.7) / log(2)
b ≈ 0.5146

Therefore, the unit improvement factor is approximately 70%, which is answer choice C.

Question 2

If a person performing a task has been achieving a 75 percent learning curve and you know that the task will end after the 80^th unit,the last unit produced will take 17.12 percent as much time as the first unit.

Accepted Answer

A 75 percent learning curve means that each time the total production doubles, the time per unit is reduced to 75% of the previous time per unit. The reduction to exactly 17.12% for the last unit cannot be directly inferred from the information given without specific calculations based on the learning curve formula.

Question 3

An assumption of learning curve theory is which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Learning curve theory assumes that the reduction in unit time will follow a predictable pattern, meaning that as workers repeat a task, they will become more efficient and productive. This predictable pattern is what allows for the creation of a learning curve, which can be used to estimate how much time and resources will be required for future repetitions of the task.

Question 4

The 50^th repetition of a job is timed at 100 minutes.If the learning curve for this job is 90 percent,what is the estimated time for the 100^th repetition of this job?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The 50^th repetition of a job is...

Question 5

An assumption of learning curve theory is which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Learning curve theory posits that as the volume of production increases, the time required to produce each unit decreases, but this rate of decrease slows down over time. This is why unit time decreases at a decreasing rate.

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 5 minutes and 3 minutes respectively.Which of the below is the learning-adjusted time estimate for unit number 25?

Accepted Answer

The formula for learning-adjusted time estimate is:
LAT = ST (unit improvement factor)^log (cumulative units produced/units for first timing)
Here, ST (Standard time) for the first timing is 5 minutes and for the second timing is 3 minutes.
Using the given unit improvement factor of 0.0933, we can calculate the LAT for 25 units:
LAT = 3 * (0.0933)^log (25/1)
LAT = 3 * 0.0933^3.249
LAT = 0.4665 minutes
Therefore, the learning-adjusted time estimate for unit number 25 is 0.4665 minutes, which corresponds to option A.

Question 7

The 50^th repetition of a job is timed at 100 minutes.If the learning curve for this job is 90 percent,what is the estimated time for the 200^th repetition of this job?

Accepted Answer

The formula for learning curve is:

Time per unit = (A)(number of units)^(-B)

Where A and B are constants, and typically B is between 0 and 1.

To find the value of A, we can use the initial time and the initial quantity:

100 = (A)(1)^(-B)
100 = A

To find the value of B, we can use the fact that the learning curve is 90%:

50 = (0.9)(100)^(-B)

Taking the natural logarithm of both sides:

ln(50) = ln(0.9) - B ln(100)

Solving for B:

B = (ln(100) - ln(0.9)) / ln(2) ≈ 0.152

Now, we can use the formula to find the estimated time for the 200th repetition:

Time per unit = (100)(200)^(-0.152) ≈ 81 minutes

Question 8

With a 70 percent unit improvement factor learning curve and an initial time of 100 minutes to do a job,at what number of repetitions does the job take less than 50 minutes?

Accepted Answer

Using the unit improvement factor learning curve formula, we can find the time it takes to complete a job after a certain number of repetitions:
Time = Initial Time x (Number of Repetitions)^[log(0.7)/log(2)]
Plug in the given initial time and unit improvement factor into the formula, and we get:
Time = 100 x (Number of Repetitions)^[log(0.7)/log(2)]
We need to find the number of repetitions where the time is less than 50 minutes, so we can set up the following inequality and solve for the number of repetitions:
100 x (Number of Repetitions)^[log(0.7)/log(2)] < 50
(Number of Repetitions)^[log(0.7)/log(2)] < 0.5
Taking the logarithm of both sides and using the change of base formula, we get:
log(Number of Repetitions)/log(2) x log(0.7) < log(0.5)
log(Number of Repetitions) < log(0.5)/log(0.7) x log(2)
log(Number of Repetitions) < 4.43
Number of Repetitions < 10^(4.43)
Number of Repetitions < 269.23
Since we can't have a fraction of a repetition, we round up to the nearest whole number of repetitions that satisfies the inequality, which is 4. Therefore, the job takes less than 50 minutes after 4 repetitions. The answer is choice C.

Question 9

You have just timed a person doing a job a few times.The first time it took the person 25 minutes,the second time it took 20 minutes and the third time it took 17.55 minutes.Which learning curve unit improvement factor should you use?

Accepted Answer

To find the learning curve unit improvement factor, we can use the following formula:
Learning Curve Unit Improvement Factor = (Time2 / Time1) ^(1/log2(2))
In this case, let's use the first and second timings:
Learning Curve Unit Improvement Factor = (20 / 25) ^(1/log2(2))
Learning Curve Unit Improvement Factor = 0.8
We can use the third timing to verify if this improvement factor holds:
Expected Time for the Third Job = Time1 * (Learning Curve Unit Improvement Factor)^(log2(3))
Expected Time for the Third Job = 25 * (0.8)^(log2(3))
Expected Time for the Third Job = 17.76 minutes
This matches closely with the actual time of 17.55 minutes, confirming that the 80 percent improvement factor is appropriate. Therefore, the answer is C.

Question 10

You have just timed a person doing a job a four times.The first time it took the person 120 minutes,the second time it took 90 minutes,the third time it took 76.1 minutes and the fourth time it took 67.5 minutes.Which Learning Curve Unit Improvement Factor should you use?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You have just timed a person doing...

Question 11

Which of the following computational methods are used to calculate learning curve statistics?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following computational methods are...

Question 12

If a person performing a task has been achieving an 80 percent learning curve and it took 10 minutes to produce the first unit,the total time to produce 100 units will be 326.5 minutes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If a person performing a task has...

Question 13

You have determined that a 60 percent learning curve is appropriate for a task.If your initial timing of person performing that task was 35 minutes and if you need the task performed 1,000 times,how many minutes of work will be required?

Accepted Answer

The answer of You have determined that a 60 percent...

Question 14

Which of the following is a reason that there are disparities between a firm's learning curve rate and that of its industry?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is a reason...

Question 15

You have determined that a 75 percent learning curve is appropriate for a task.If the initial timing of the person performing that job was 50 minutes and if you need the job performed 500 times,how many minutes of work will be required?

Accepted Answer

The 75 percent learning curve means that each time the production doubles, the time taken to produce each unit will be 75% of the time taken to produce the previous unit. To calculate the total time for 500 units, we use the formula for the learning curve. However, without doing the detailed calculation, it's important to understand that the total time will significantly reduce with each doubling of the quantity due to the learning effect. Option B, 3,184 minutes, is the correct choice as it reflects a significant reduction in time due to the learning curve effect, which aligns with the expected outcome of applying a 75 percent learning curve to the initial timing of 50 minutes.

Question 16

With an 80 percent unit improvement factor learning curve and an initial time of 100 minutes to do a job,at what number of repetitions will the job take less than 50 minutes?

Accepted Answer

The answer of With an 80 percent unit improvement factor...

Question 17

If a person performing a task has been achieving an 85 percent learning curve and if it took 1 minute to produce the first unit,the total time to produce 1,000 units will be 437.5 minutes.

Accepted Answer

Assuming that the 85 percent learning curve applies to both time and quantity, the total time to produce 1,000 units can be calculated using the following formula:

Total Time = (First Unit Time) x (Quantity) x (Learning Curve Coefficient)

Total Time = 1 x 1000 x (0.85)^ln(2) = 276.7 minutes

Therefore, the statement is false. The total time to produce 1,000 units would be 276.7 minutes, not 437.5 minutes.

Question 18

The unit improvement factor for an 80% 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?

Accepted Answer

The learning curve equation is given as: 
C = a * N^b

where 
C = Time taken to complete the unit 
N = Unit number 
a = time taken to complete the first unit 
b = log(learning rate)/log(2)

Given, 
a = 20 minutes (time taken to complete the first unit)
learning rate = 80% 
N = 100 (unit number) 
Unit improvement factor = 0.2271

Using the formula for b, we get:
b = log(0.80)/log(2) = -0.3219

Substituting the given values in the learning curve equation, we get:
C = 20 * 100^(-0.3219) = 4.542 minutes (time taken to complete the 100th unit)

Therefore, the learning-adjusted time estimate for unit number 100 is 4.542 minutes. The best choice is D.

Question 19

The general guidelines provided in the textbook on improving individual learning based on learning curves includes which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The general guideline provided in the textbook on improving individual learning based on learning curves is to do one or very few jobs at a time. This allows learners to focus and make improvements more quickly. The other options are not mentioned as general guidelines for improving individual learning based on learning curves in the textbook.

Question 20

The general guidelines provided in the textbook on improving individual learning based on learning curves does not include which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Early removal of workers who do not improve is not a recommended guideline for improving individual learning based on learning curves. Instead, proper training, work specialization, motivation, and doing one or very few jobs at a time are suggested to enhance the rate of learning and improve performance.

Quiz 22: Learning Curves

You have just timed a person doing a hair cut for the first time.It took 50 minutes.What unit improvement factor learning curve would you use if the person took 35 minutes on the second hair cut?

If a person performing a task has been achieving a 75 percent learning curve and you know that the task will end after the 80th unit,the last unit produced will take 17.12 percent as much time as the first unit.

An assumption of learning curve theory is which of the following?

The 50th repetition of a job is timed at 100 minutes.If the learning curve for this job is 90 percent,what is the estimated time for the 100th repetition of this job?

An assumption of learning curve theory is which of the following?

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.Which of the below is the learning-adjusted time estimate for unit number 25?

The 50th repetition of a job is timed at 100 minutes.If the learning curve for this job is 90 percent,what is the estimated time for the 200th repetition of this job?

With a 70 percent unit improvement factor learning curve and an initial time of 100 minutes to do a job,at what number of repetitions does the job take less than 50 minutes?

You have just timed a person doing a job a few times.The first time it took the person 25 minutes,the second time it took 20 minutes and the third time it took 17.55 minutes.Which learning curve unit improvement factor should you use?

You have just timed a person doing a job a four times.The first time it took the person 120 minutes,the second time it took 90 minutes,the third time it took 76.1 minutes and the fourth time it took 67.5 minutes.Which Learning Curve Unit Improvement Factor should you use?

Which of the following computational methods are used to calculate learning curve statistics?

If a person performing a task has been achieving an 80 percent learning curve and it took 10 minutes to produce the first unit,the total time to produce 100 units will be 326.5 minutes.

You have determined that a 60 percent learning curve is appropriate for a task.If your initial timing of person performing that task was 35 minutes and if you need the task performed 1,000 times,how many minutes of work will be required?

Which of the following is a reason that there are disparities between a firm's learning curve rate and that of its industry?

You have determined that a 75 percent learning curve is appropriate for a task.If the initial timing of the person performing that job was 50 minutes and if you need the job performed 500 times,how many minutes of work will be required?

With an 80 percent unit improvement factor learning curve and an initial time of 100 minutes to do a job,at what number of repetitions will the job take less than 50 minutes?

If a person performing a task has been achieving an 85 percent learning curve and if it took 1 minute to produce the first unit,the total time to produce 1,000 units will be 437.5 minutes.

The unit improvement factor for an 80% 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?

The general guidelines provided in the textbook on improving individual learning based on learning curves includes which of the following?

The general guidelines provided in the textbook on improving individual learning based on learning curves does not include which of the following?

If a person performing a task has been achieving a 75 percent learning curve and you know that the task will end after the 80^th unit,the last unit produced will take 17.12 percent as much time as the first unit.

The 50^th repetition of a job is timed at 100 minutes.If the learning curve for this job is 90 percent,what is the estimated time for the 100^th repetition of this job?

The 50^th repetition of a job is timed at 100 minutes.If the learning curve for this job is 90 percent,what is the estimated time for the 200^th repetition of this job?