When the Challenger space shuttle was launched in January 1986, it exploded due to damage to the O-rings.

The day before the Challenger space shuttle was launched, the air temperature was forecast to be between 26 and 29 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the launch. Based on the analysis presented in Question 8, which of the following are correct? Tick as many as apply.

Question

When the Challenger space shuttle was launched in January 1986, it exploded due to damage to the O-rings.

The day before the Challenger space shuttle was launched, the air temperature was forecast to be between 26 and 29 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the launch.  Based on the analysis presented in Question 8, which of the following are correct?  Tick as many as apply.

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The prompt presents a scenario about Challenger’s launch temperatures and asks you to assess multiple statements.
Option 1: 'If a temperature as low as 19 degrees Fahrenheit has been observed in the location where the Challenger was launched, this means it is valid to use the model to predict for temperatures in the range 26 to 29 degrees Fahrenheit.' This is problematic because predictive models are generally not considered valid to extrapolate to a temperature range beyond what the data cover without additional justification. Observing 19°F somewhere does not guarantee the model's validity at the 26–29°F range, so treating it as valid evidence for prediction in that higher-but-still-low range misuses extrapolation.
Option 2: 'The analysis shows that low temperatures are the cause of O-ring damage, so the explosion was predictable.' While temperature can influence O-ring performance, this statement overreaches. The analysis does not establish a simple, deterministic causal claim that makes the explosion fully predictable; it would require robust causal evidence and a proven predictive link, which is not provided here. Thus this is an overinterpretation.
Option 3: 'Although the forecast temperatures were outside the range of the data, the fitted model can be used to extrapolate to the forecast temperatures to predict O-ring damage. If this is done, the predicted probability of O-ring damage would be lower than for any temperature within the data set.' This option is problematic on two counts: first, extrapolating outside the data range is inherently uncertain and not automatically valid; second, asserting that the probability would be lower than for any temperature within the data set is a specific claim about the model’s behavior outside its established domain, which is unsupported and likely false. In short, it relies on extrapolation without justification and makes an unfounded probabilistic claim.
Option 4: 'The forecast temperatures were outside the range of the data, which highlights the lack of evidence about O-ring damage for the forecast temperatures.' This statement accurately acknowledges that the forecast temperatures lie outside the data range and that this creates a lack of evidence regarding O-ring damage for those temperatures. It correctly flags the uncertainty introduced by extrapolation beyond observed data.
In summary, Options 1, 2, and 3 each contain reasoning errors or overgeneralizations about extrapolation, causality, or model behavior, whereas Option 4 correctly notes the limitation due to data range and the consequent lack of evidence for O-ring damage at the forecast temperatures.

MAST90007_2025_WIN 2025 Quiz 4

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