Question

Science Quick check.
Imagine you are an engineer, and you are trying to design an air filter that will successfully reduce the amount of air pollution being released into the air by a factory. You need to consider constraints that will limit your design as well as the criteria that will be used to judge the successfulness of your design.

Identify each factor from the list below as either a constraint or a criterion.

Box 1 constraint

Box 2 criterion

Which answers go into each box? Sort them out correctly.
a. filter must reliable remove at least 95% of pollutants
b. filter must keep working reliably for at least 6 months before needing replacement
c. filter cannot exceed budget allowance for cost
d. filter has to fit in the space that can be accessed for cleaning and replacement

Answer 1

Here’s how to sort the factors into constraints and criteria:

**Box 1 (Constraint)**:
- c. filter cannot exceed budget allowance for cost
- d. filter has to fit in the space that can be accessed for cleaning and replacement

**Box 2 (Criterion)**:
- a. filter must reliably remove at least 95% of pollutants
- b. filter must keep working reliably for at least 6 months before needing replacement

Constraints are limitations or restrictions that must be adhered to in the design process, while criteria are the goals or standards for evaluating the success of the design.