← IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

Advantages and disadvantages of automation in lighting

Weigh benefits (saves energy, safer at night, no switching) against drawbacks (install cost, sensor faults, animal false triggers) and link each point to the scenario.

Part of: IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 6.1 Automated Systems — Module 49

Understanding Advantages and disadvantages of automation in lighting in IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

What it does: The motion sensor switches the lamp on as soon as a person is detected, giving safety at night without anyone touching a switch. Automatic lights only run when needed, which saves energy. Sensors can develop faults, so the other answer is wrong. Foxes setting off the sensor is a false trigger. Needing no one to switch the light on is an advantage, not a disadvantage. Lights that reliably come on in the dark make people safer. Installation cost is a disadvantage, not a safety benefit. A faulty sensor can leave lights on or off. Here the lights stay on, so energy is wasted and the saving is lost.

Common mistakes: The lamp should switch on only when the reading is below the dark value (light < 30). With > the lamp comes on in daylight and is off at night, which wastes energy and removes the safety benefit. When no movement is detected the lamp should go OFF. Setting it to ON keeps the light on all night, so the energy-saving advantage is lost.

Class: _____________________ · Name: _____________________ · Date: _________

Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

🖨 Print worksheet + answer key Add Advantages and disadvantages of automation in lighting to a class →

This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 618–631) and word search (Modules 608–631).

Take this worksheet further — free with Cloodit

Each concept is reinforced from every angle — learned, then applied, then tested.

Learning

Duo

A school car park has lights that switch on when a sensor detects darkness. Which is an ADVANTAGE in this scenario?

Lights turn off in daylight, so less electricity is wastedThe sensor can never develop a fault

Matches

Automatic lights are always better because nothing can go wrong.

↓

Only gives a benefit and ignores drawbacks such as installation cost, sensor faults and false triggers by animals. It also does not link to the scenario.

Applying

Meanings

Term

automatic lighting trade-off

Meaning

Weigh benefits (saves energy, safer at night, no switching) against drawbacks (install cost, sensor faults, animal false triggers) and link each point to the scenario.

Practice

Scenario: car park with motion sensor lights

Testing

Gaps

IF motion = TRUE light < 20 THEN

Check Answer

Spots

2 light ← ReadLightSensor()

3 IF light > 30 THEN

Cloodit turns curriculum-aligned coding content into journeys students work through one biome at a time.

Students earn collectable badges

Over 100 of them, across seven natural biomes.

Study Buddy

Students build a real study resource

Turns their work into revision material ready for Flash Cards and Exam study.

Diamond Dash — one of Cloodit's live, competitive Sprint games

Students lock in with Sprints

Live, competitive practice for the start of the lesson or a teacher-led lesson finisher.

A Cloodit certificate of achievement, ready to personalise and print

Custom printable certificates

Honour your top performers, or encourage a student who's trying hard — ready to print in seconds.

Add to class →

Quick Questions

1. A school car park has lights that switch on when a sensor detects darkness. Which is an ADVANTAGE in this scenario?

A. The sensor can never develop a fault

B. Lights turn off in daylight, so less electricity is wasted ✓

Automatic lights only run when needed, which saves energy. Sensors can develop faults, so the other answer is wrong.

2. A farm yard light is triggered by a movement sensor. Foxes often walk past at night. Which is a DISADVANTAGE linked to this scenario?

A. Someone has to walk out and switch the light on each night

B. Animals can cause false triggers, so the light switches on when nobody is there ✓

Foxes setting off the sensor is a false trigger. Needing no one to switch the light on is an advantage, not a disadvantage.

3. A town installs automatic street lights that come on at dusk. Which point best shows improved SAFETY at night?

A. Lights come on when it gets dark, so paths are lit for people walking home ✓

B. The council pays a one-off cost to install the sensors

Lights that reliably come on in the dark make people safer. Installation cost is a disadvantage, not a safety benefit.

4. A hotel corridor has lights with a light sensor. The sensor breaks and the lights stay on all day. Which drawback does this show?

A. A sensor fault leaves the lights on and wastes energy ✓

B. The lights save energy because the sensor is working

A faulty sensor can leave lights on or off. Here the lights stay on, so energy is wasted and the saving is lost.

5. A school wants to fit movement-sensor lights in 40 classrooms. Which is a DISADVANTAGE in this scenario?

A. The sensors, wiring and fitting cost a lot to buy and install ✓

B. Teachers no longer have to remember to switch lights off

Installation cost is a disadvantage. Nobody needing to switch lights is an advantage.

Match the Pairs

IF motion = TRUE AND light < 20 THEN lamp ← ON → Lights come on only when someone is detected in the dark, which saves energy and means no one has to find a switch.

IF sensor = FAULTY THEN lamp stays ON → A faulty sensor can leave the lights on all night and waste energy, which is a drawback of automatic lighting.

Benefit in a car park scenario: lights come on when a person walks in at night, so they are safer → IF motion = TRUE THEN lamp ← ON

Drawback in a garden scenario: a fox walking past is a false trigger that wastes energy → IF motion = TRUE (fox) THEN lamp ← ON

Automatic lights are always better because nothing can go wrong. → Only gives a benefit and ignores drawbacks such as installation cost, sensor faults and false triggers by animals. It also does not link to the scenario.

Automatic lights are good and bad. → Too vague. It names no benefit or drawback and uses no details from the scenario given in the question.

Key Term

automatic lighting trade-off

Weigh benefits (saves energy, safer at night, no switching) against drawbacks (install cost, sensor faults, animal false triggers) and link each point to the scenario.

Fill in the Blanks

1. IF motion = TRUE AND light < 20 THEN lamp ← ON ENDIF

Hint: Type the logical operator that needs both conditions true, so lights stay off in daylight and save energy.

2. IF light < 20 THEN lamp ← ON ENDIF

Hint: Type the output state that lights the path when it is dark, giving safety at night.

3. WHILE power = ON IF motion = TRUE THEN lamp ← ON ENDWHILE

Hint: Type the loop keyword that keeps checking the sensor, so no one has to switch the lights.

4. IF fault = TRUE THEN OUTPUT "Check sensor" ENDIF

Hint: Type the keyword that shows a warning message, so a sensor fault leaving lights on or off gets noticed.

5. IF motion = TRUE AND size > 30 THEN lamp ← ON ENDIF

Hint: Type the comparison operator that requires a reading to be larger than the limit, ignoring small animals that cause false triggers.

Spot the Error

Question 1

A REPEAT

B light ← ReadLightSensor()

C IF light > 30 THEN

D lamp ← ON

E ELSE lamp ← OFF

F UNTIL FALSE

Line C — The lamp should switch on only when the reading is below the dark value (light < 30). With > the lamp comes on in daylight and is off at night, which wastes energy and removes the safety benefit.

Question 2

A WHILE TRUE

B m ← ReadMotionSensor()

C IF m = TRUE THEN lamp ← ON

D ELSE lamp ← ON

E ENDWHILE

Line D — When no movement is detected the lamp should go OFF. Setting it to ON keeps the light on all night, so the energy-saving advantage is lost.

Question 3

A light ← ReadTempSensor()

B IF light < 30 THEN

C streetLamp ← ON

Line A — A temperature sensor cannot tell if it is dark. A light sensor is needed so the lamp switches on automatically at night, so no one has to switch it.

Question 4

A threshold ← "dark"

B reading ← ReadLightSensor()

C IF reading < threshold THEN

D lamp ← ON

Line A — The stored value must be a number so the microprocessor can compare it with the numeric light sensor reading. It should be threshold ← 30.

Question 5

A motion ← ReadMotionSensor()

B weight ← ReadLightSensor()

C IF motion AND weight > 9 THEN

D lamp ← ON

Line B — To stop animals causing false triggers, the program checks weight, so it needs ReadWeightSensor(). A light reading cannot show whether a fox or a person is on the path.

Student with a class code? Join your class →