Advantages and disadvantages of automation in industry

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Quick Questions

Shade in the A or B circle for each question.

1. A car factory uses welding robots that run 24 hours a day. Which is a valid ADVANTAGE to write in an exam answer?

A The robots are cheap to buy, so the factory spends very little at the start

B The robots can keep production going nonstop, so more cars are built each day

2. A bottling plant installs a filling machine that puts exactly 500 ml in every bottle. Which point links to the scenario?

A The machine can decide what to do if the bottles are an unexpected shape

B Every bottle is filled to the same level, so quality is consistent

3. A chemical plant uses robots to handle toxic liquids. Which is the best advantage to write?

A Workers stay away from the dangerous chemicals, so there are fewer injuries

B The factory needs no workers at all, so nothing can ever go wrong

4. A toy factory replaces 40 assembly workers with robot arms. Which is a valid DISADVANTAGE?

A Many workers may lose their jobs and need retraining

B The robot arms will get tired and need to rest every few hours

5. A biscuit factory has one automated production line. The conveyor belt motor fails. Which statement best describes the drawback?

A The whole line stops until it is repaired, so no biscuits are made

B The biscuits will automatically be made by the other workers instead

Match the Pairs

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

Left column		Right column
1Advantage: runs 24 hours a day		AThis is a vague answer that gives no reason and is not linked to the factory in the question.
2Disadvantage: line stops when a robot fails		BConclusion: the plant gains more than it loses, so automation is worth it
3Link an advantage to the scenario: robots handle dangerous tasks so workers are not hurt		CAdvantage: robots weld in the toxic fumes, so no workers are at risk
4Finish with a short conclusion that weighs both sides		DRobots on a car assembly line keep producing without breaks, so more cars are made each day.
5Automation is good because it is good for factories.		EOne broken machine can halt the whole production line, so output and money are lost until it is repaired.
6Only advantages: robots never make mistakes and cost nothing.		FIt ignores the disadvantages, such as set-up cost, job losses and breakdowns, and the claims are wrong.

Definitions

advantages vs disadvantages

Fill in the Blanks

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

Advantage: robots weld ____________ all day

Advantage: every part has __________ quality

Advantage: robots enter _________ areas

Disadvantage: a _________ can stop the line

Conclusion: gains ________ the set-up cost

Spot the Error

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

Question 1

A robots ← 4

B hoursPerDay ← 24

C output ← robots + hoursPerDay

D OUTPUT output

Question 2

A gasLevel ← 80

B IF gasLevel < 50 THEN

C OUTPUT "Robot does the job"

D ENDIF

Question 3

A robotCost ← 200000

B numRobots ← 5

C total ← robotCost * numRobots

D IF total < 900000 THEN

E OUTPUT "Cost is too high"

F ENDIF

Question 4

A jobsBefore ← "100"

B jobsAfter ← 40

C lost ← jobsBefore - jobsAfter

D OUTPUT lost

Question 5

A WHILE motorFault = TRUE DO

B boxes ← boxes + 1

C ENDWHILE

D OUTPUT "Line stopped"

Answer Key

Advantages and disadvantages of automation in industry

Section A: Quick Questions

B — The robots can keep production going nonstop, so more cars are built each day

B — Every bottle is filled to the same level, so quality is consistent

A — Workers stay away from the dangerous chemicals, so there are fewer injuries

A — Many workers may lose their jobs and need retraining

A — The whole line stops until it is repaired, so no biscuits are made

Section B: Match the Pairs

Advantage: runs 24 hours a day → Robots on a car assembly line keep producing without breaks, so more cars are made each day.

Disadvantage: line stops when a robot fails → One broken machine can halt the whole production line, so output and money are lost until it is repaired.

Link an advantage to the scenario: robots handle dangerous tasks so workers are not hurt → Advantage: robots weld in the toxic fumes, so no workers are at risk

Finish with a short conclusion that weighs both sides → Conclusion: the plant gains more than it loses, so automation is worth it

Automation is good because it is good for factories. → This is a vague answer that gives no reason and is not linked to the factory in the question.

Only advantages: robots never make mistakes and cost nothing. → It ignores the disadvantages, such as set-up cost, job losses and breakdowns, and the claims are wrong.

Section C: Definitions

advantages vs disadvantages — Weigh what a factory gains (nonstop work, steady quality, safety) against its costs (set-up cost, job losses, breakdowns), link points to the scenario, then conclude.

Section D: Fill in the Blanks

Advantage: robots weld continuously all day

Advantage: every part has consistent quality

Advantage: robots enter hazardous areas

Disadvantage: a breakdown can stop the line

Conclusion: gains outweigh the set-up cost

Section E: Spot the Error

C — Robots working nonstop produce robots multiplied by hours, not added. It should be output ← robots * hoursPerDay.

B — The robot should replace workers when the gas level is dangerously high, so the test should be gasLevel > 50, not < 50.

D — The set-up cost is a drawback only when it is above the budget. The test should be total > 900000, so the warning prints when the cost is too high.

A — Putting quotes around 100 makes it a string, so the job losses cannot be calculated by subtraction. It should be jobsBefore ← 100.

A — The line should keep producing only while there is no fault. The loop condition should be motorFault = FALSE, and a breakdown then stops the line.