Homework 1

1. Question 1
What does a physical description of a system articulate? (Choose the most CORRECT statement).
a. A physical description identifies the missions that the system is to perform.
b. A physical description identifies what other systems will be involved in the system's
operation.
c. A physical description identifies what the system will do.
d. A physical description contains the performance requirements for the system.
e. A physical description identifies what the system components are.
2. Question 2
Systems engineering is most applicable to which ONE of the following types of systems?
a. Open systems
b. Human-made, largely unprecedented systems
c. Human-made, conceptual systems
d. Natural, open systems
e. Largely unprecedented systems
3. Question 3
There are four phases in a generic system life cycle. Identify ONE of them.
a. Acquisition
b. Conceptual Design
c. Research and Development
d. System Support
e. Disposal
4. Question 4
Which ONE of the following lists includes ONLY Acquisition Phase activities for the Blanchard
& Fabrycky life cycle?
a. Conceptual Design, Preliminary Design.
b. Conceptual Design, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design & Development, Disposal
c. Detailed Design & Development, System Support.
d. Pre-Acquisition, Conceptual Design, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design &
Development, Construction and/or Production, Retirement.
e. Conceptual Design, Preliminary Design, Detailed Design & Development,
Construction and/or Production, Retirement.
5.Question 5
Which ONE of the following major reviews formalises the Conceptual Design activity of the
Acquisition Phase of the system life cycle?
 a. Production Readiness Review
b. Functional Configuration Audit
c. System Readiness Review
d. Test Readiness Review
e. System Design Review
6. Question 6
The Functional Baseline is established at which ONE of the following reviews?
a. Formal Qualification Review
b. System Design Review
c. System Readiness Review
d. Test Readiness Review
e. Functional Configuration Audit
7. Question 7
Which ONE of the following major reviews formalises the System Requirement Specification
(SyRS)?
a. Test Readiness Review
b. System Design Review
c. System Readiness Review
d. Production Readiness Review
e. Functional Configuration Audit
8. Question 8
Which ONE of the following major reviews formalises the Preliminary Design activity of the
system life cycle?
a. Conceptual Design Review
b. Functional Configuration Audit
c. Formal Qualification Review
d. Physical Configuration Audit
e. Preliminary Design Review
9. Question 9
Which ONE of the following major reviews establishes the Allocated Baseline?
a. Conceptual Design Review
b. Formal Qualification Review
c. Preliminary Design Review
d. Physical Configuration Audit
 e. Functional Configuration Audit
10. Question 10
Which ONE of the following major reviews formalises the Development Specifications?
a. System Development Review
b. Preliminary Design Review
c. Production Readiness Review
d. System Readiness Review
e. Formal Qualification Review
11. Question 11
Which ONE of the following major reviews ends the Detailed Design & Development activity of
the system life cycle?
a. Formal Qualification Review
b. Functional Configuration Audit
c. Test Readiness Review
d. Physical Configuration Audit
e. Critical Design Review
12. Question 12
The Product Baseline is established at which ONE of the following major reviews?
a. Functional Configuration Audit
b. Test Readiness Review
c. Critical Design Review
d. Physical Configuration Audit
e. Formal Qualification Review
13. Question 13
Which ONE of the following reviews formalises the Product Specifications?
a. Product Configuration Audit
b. Formal Qualification Review
c. Conceptual Design Review
d. Critical Design Review
e. Product Design Review
14. Question 14
Which ONE of the following major reviews ends the Acquisition Phase?
a. Functional Configuration Audit
b. Physical Configuration Audit
 c. Preliminary Design Review
d. Test Readiness Review
e. Formal Qualification Review
15. Question 15
Identify the ONE activity conducted in the Utilisation Phase of the Blanchard & Fabrycky life
cycle.
a. Operational Use
b. Conceptual Design
c. Retirement
d. Pre-Acquisition
e. Detailed Design & Development

Exercise 1 – Identify the options for drawing a boundary around a Domestic Dwelling system.
Because there are so many types of domestic dwelling, you should start by considering a single,
free-standing house on a block of land which is surrounded by a fence. If you have time, consider
how different the boundary would be for an apartment.

Example

Exercise 2 – Draw up a table of upper-level functional and physical terms that can be used to
describe the Domestic Dwelling system. For example, one upper-level function of the dwelling
would be to “prepare food” whereas a physical element of the system would be “kitchen”.

Example:

Logical descriptions
Physical descriptions

Exercise 3 – Based on your list of functional and physical terms, develop a functional hierarchy
and a physical hierarchy for the Domestic Dwelling.