Advantage: lower running costs and fewer errors

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. Why can an automated factory cut its running costs over time?

A It needs more paid workers, so the wage bill rises

B It needs fewer paid workers, so the wage bill falls

2. A robot cuts sheets of metal with very little left over. What is the cost benefit?

A More material is wasted, so more money is spent on materials

B Less material is wasted, so less money is spent on materials

3. A school's automated lighting system switches lights off when a room is empty. How does this lower costs?

A It saves energy, so the electricity bill is lower

B It uses extra energy, so the electricity bill is higher

4. Which statement about the cost of an automated system is correct?

A It costs a lot at the start, but can save money over time

B It costs nothing at the start and saves money straight away

5. A greenhouse heating system uses a temperature sensor to switch the heater off once the room is warm enough. What does this show?

A Automation can save energy and lower heating costs

B Automation always makes heating costs higher

Match the Pairs

Draw a line connecting each item on the left to its match on the right.

Left column		Right column
1lower running costs		AAutomated systems cost a lot to buy and install at the start. The savings build up over time.
2fewer wages		BIF material_used > needed THEN stop_machine
3Less waste: a sensor-controlled machine uses only the material it needs, which saves money		CIF movement = FALSE THEN light OFF
4Energy saved: lights switch off when a sensor detects that nobody is in the room, so the electricity bill is lower		DIt usually needs fewer paid workers, because machines do the repeated tasks, which cuts wage costs.
5Automation saves money from the first day because the system costs nothing to buy.		EOver time the system needs fewer paid workers and wastes less material, energy or time, so it costs less to run.
6An automated system always needs more paid workers than a manual one.		FA machine does work that people used to be paid to do, so the business pays less in salaries.

Definitions

lower running costs

Fill in the Blanks

Complete each line of code by filling in the missing parts.

IF roomEmpty = TRUE ____ lights ← "OFF" ENDIF

savings ← wagesSaved * years _ setUpCost

workersNeeded ← 10 - 6 wages ← _____________ * payEach

WHILE bottleLevel _ fullLevel pump ← "ON" ENDWHILE

IF temperature __ target THEN heater ← "OFF" ENDIF

Spot the Error

Shade in the letter of the line that contains an error.

Question 1

A robots ← 4

B wage_saved ← robots + 25000

C OUTPUT wage_saved

Question 2

A IF room_empty = TRUE

B lights ← OFF

C energy_saved ← TRUE

D ENDIF

Question 3

A cost ← 60000

B saving ← 15000

C years ← 0

D WHILE cost < 0 DO

E cost ← cost - saving

F years ← years + 1

Question 4

A saving ← new_cost - old_cost

B IF saving > 0 THEN

C OUTPUT "Costs cut"

D ENDIF

Question 5

A INPUT hours_off

B kwh_saved ← hours_off * 2

C money_saved ← kwh_saves * 0.3

D OUTPUT money_saved

Answer Key

Advantage: lower running costs and fewer errors

Section A: Quick Questions

B — It needs fewer paid workers, so the wage bill falls

B — Less material is wasted, so less money is spent on materials

A — It saves energy, so the electricity bill is lower

A — It costs a lot at the start, but can save money over time

A — Automation can save energy and lower heating costs

Section B: Match the Pairs

lower running costs → Over time the system needs fewer paid workers and wastes less material, energy or time, so it costs less to run.

fewer wages → A machine does work that people used to be paid to do, so the business pays less in salaries.

Less waste: a sensor-controlled machine uses only the material it needs, which saves money → IF material_used > needed THEN stop_machine

Energy saved: lights switch off when a sensor detects that nobody is in the room, so the electricity bill is lower → IF movement = FALSE THEN light OFF

Automation saves money from the first day because the system costs nothing to buy. → Automated systems cost a lot to buy and install at the start. The savings build up over time.

An automated system always needs more paid workers than a manual one. → It usually needs fewer paid workers, because machines do the repeated tasks, which cuts wage costs.

Section C: Definitions

lower running costs — An automated system can cut costs over time as it needs fewer paid workers and wastes less material, energy or time, though buying it costs a lot at the start.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

IF roomEmpty = TRUE THEN
lights ← "OFF"
ENDIF

savings ← wagesSaved * years - setUpCost

workersNeeded ← 10 - 6
wages ← workersNeeded * payEach

WHILE bottleLevel < fullLevel
pump ← "ON"
ENDWHILE

IF temperature >= target THEN
heater ← "OFF"
ENDIF

Section E: Spot the Error

B — The wages saved should be the number of robots multiplied by the wage each replaces. Adding gives the wrong total. It should be robots * 25000.

A — An IF statement needs THEN after the condition. Line 1 should be IF room_empty = TRUE THEN.

D — The cost starts at 60000, so cost < 0 is false and the loop never runs. The loop should continue while cost > 0, until the savings repay the buying cost.

A — The saving is the old cost minus the new cost. The numbers are the wrong way round, so a real saving would come out negative. It should be old_cost - new_cost.

C — The variable is spelled kwh_saved on line 2, but line 3 uses kwh_saves. This is a different, undeclared variable. It should be kwh_saved.