UPSC Prelims 2023 · Question 84 of 97

UPSC Prelims 2023 question on Accelerometer Applications

Consider the following actions:

1. Detection of car crash/collision which results in the deployment of airbags almost instantaneously.
2. Detection of accidental free fall of a laptop towards the ground which results in the immediate turning off of the hard drive.
3. Detection of the tilt of the smartphone which results in the rotation of display between portrait and landscape mode.

In how many of the above actions is the function of accelerometer required?

  1. Only one
  2. Only two
  3. All three
  4. None
Show answer

Answer: C. All three

Verdict

All three actions require the function of an accelerometer → Option (c) All three.

Analysis

An accelerometer is a device that measures the vibration, or acceleration of motion of a structure. Accelerometer sensors have the ability to alter obtained physical acceleration from motion or gravity into a voltage output.

Statement by statement

Statement 1 – CORRECT: In the event of a crash, the crash sensor (an accelerometer) sends a signal to the airbag control unit. This control unit triggers the inflation device, which generates nitrogen gas by igniting a mixture of sodium azide (NaN3) and potassium nitrate (KNO3).

Statement 2 – CORRECT: Accelerometers used in rotating machines detect undulating vibrations. Electronic devices these days (including smartphones, tablets and even laptops) have a sense of gravity designed into it and can therefore tell up from down by using an accelerometer — this enables the hard drive to turn off when a free fall is detected.

Statement 3 – CORRECT: Electronic devices including smartphones can tell up from down and can detect tilts using an accelerometer. This results in the rotation of display between portrait and landscape mode.

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