← IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

Advantages and disadvantages of automation in weather monitoring

Weigh benefits like remote sites, readings day and night and no staff at risk against cost, storm damage, power supply and remote repairs, linking each point to the scenario.

Part of: IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 6.1 Automated Systems — Module 47

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

What it does: The scenario needs readings at fixed times with no gaps, which an automated system provides without tiredness or breaks. The battery failure points to the power supply problem, and the island location means repairs are slow and costly. Automation means nobody has to climb the mountain in bad weather, so no staff are at risk. But no system is repair-free, so the other answer is wrong. Automatic stations measure at fixed intervals, 24 hours a day. They do not choose to skip readings. Strong winds, rain and lightning can damage exposed sensors. In an exam, link the disadvantage to the storm in the question.

Common mistakes: An automatic weather station needs no staff on the mountain, so no one is put at risk. The line should be staff_at_risk = 0. A day has 1440 minutes (24 x 60). To count readings at regular intervals all day and night, divide 1440 by the gap, not 1000.

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Learning

Duo

A weather station is on a remote mountain top where staff would face dangerous conditions. Which is an advantage of automating it?

The station never needs any repair or maintenanceNo staff are put at risk, because sensors collect the data instead

Matches

Answer: Automatic weather stations are good because they are better.

↓

The answer is vague. It does not give a specific advantage or link it to the weather scenario in the question.

Applying

Meanings

Term

automatic weather station pros and cons

Meaning

Weigh benefits like remote sites, readings day and night and no staff at risk against cost, storm damage, power supply and remote repairs, linking each point to the scenario.

Practice

Advantage: the station on the remote mountain takes a reading every hour, day and night.

Testing

Gaps

Advantage: station works in places

Check Answer

Spots

1site = 'mountain top'

2staff_at_risk = 3

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Quick Questions

1. A weather station is on a remote mountain top where staff would face dangerous conditions. Which is an advantage of automating it?

A. No staff are put at risk, because sensors collect the data instead ✓

B. The station never needs any repair or maintenance

Automation means nobody has to climb the mountain in bad weather, so no staff are at risk. But no system is repair-free, so the other answer is wrong.

2. A scenario says a station must record the temperature every 10 minutes for a whole year. Which advantage fits best?

A. It takes readings at regular intervals all day and night without tiredness ✓

B. It can decide to ignore readings when the weather looks boring

Automatic stations measure at fixed intervals, 24 hours a day. They do not choose to skip readings.

3. A scenario describes a weather station on a small island far from any town. Which is a disadvantage of automation here?

A. Repairing a faulty sensor is hard because the site is remote ✓

B. Readings can only be taken during the day

Remote sites make repairs slow and costly because a technician must travel there. Automatic stations can record both day and night.

4. A coastal station is hit by a hurricane. Which point links a disadvantage to this scenario?

A. Storms make the readings more accurate

B. Storms can damage the sensors, so data may be lost ✓

Strong winds, rain and lightning can damage exposed sensors. In an exam, link the disadvantage to the storm in the question.

5. A question says the station is in a desert with no mains electricity. Which is the best disadvantage to write?

A. It will not need any power because it is automatic

B. It needs a power supply, such as solar panels or batteries, which could fail ✓

Automated systems always need power. In a place with no mains supply, a power failure could stop the readings.

Match the Pairs

Advantage: remote places → An automatic weather station can collect data on a mountain or island where staff would find it hard to live or travel.

Disadvantage: sensor damage by storms → Strong wind, lightning or flooding can break the exposed sensors, so readings are lost just when the weather is most important.

A scenario says a station must record temperature every hour for a whole year, including nights and holidays. Give the matching advantage. → Advantage: readings at regular intervals all day and night

A scenario says a station on a remote island runs on a battery and sometimes stops working. Give the matching disadvantage. → Disadvantage: power supply and repair in remote places

Answer: Automatic weather stations are good because they are better. → The answer is vague. It does not give a specific advantage or link it to the weather scenario in the question.

Answer: The station has no disadvantages because it is automatic. → This ignores the drawbacks. Automatic stations cost a lot, need power, can be damaged by storms and are hard to repair in remote places.

Key Term

automatic weather station pros and cons

Weigh benefits like remote sites, readings day and night and no staff at risk against cost, storm damage, power supply and remote repairs, linking each point to the scenario.

Fill in the Blanks

1. Advantage: station works in remote places

Hint: Type the word for places far from towns and hard to reach.

2. Advantage: readings taken day and night

Hint: Type the phrase meaning the station records data at every hour without stopping.

3. Advantage: no staff at risk in a storm

Hint: Type the word for the people who are kept out of danger.

4. Disadvantage: storms can damage sensors

Hint: Type the verb for what severe weather can do to the equipment.

5. Disadvantage: remote repair is slow, costly

Hint: Type the word for fixing a broken station that is far away.

Spot the Error

Question 1

A site = 'mountain top'

B staff_at_risk = 3

C print(staff_at_risk)

Line B — An automatic weather station needs no staff on the mountain, so no one is put at risk. The line should be staff_at_risk = 0.

Question 2

A gap = 60

B per_day = 1000 // gap

C print(per_day)

Line B — A day has 1440 minutes (24 x 60). To count readings at regular intervals all day and night, divide 1440 by the gap, not 1000.

Question 3

A cost = 5000

B repair = 800

C total = cost - repair

D print(total)

Line C — Repair costs add to the cost of buying the station, so the total is cost + repair. Subtracting would wrongly make the station look cheaper.

Question 4

A if storm_damage = True:

B sensor_ok = False

C alert_engineer()

Line A — A comparison needs == not =. The single = is assignment and causes a syntax error. It should be if storm_damage == True:.

Question 5

A battery = 8

B if battery < 10:

C print('Low power'

Line C — The print call is missing its closing bracket. It should be print('Low power'). A remote station depends on its power supply, so warnings must work.

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