A firm has a training program for a certain operation. The progress of trainees is carefully monitored. An established standard requires a trainee to be able to complete the sixth attempt of the operation in six hours or less. Those who are unable to do this are assigned to other jobs. Currently, three trainees have each completed two attempts. Trainee A had times of 9 hours for the first and 8 hours for the second attempt; trainee B had times of 10 hours and 8 hours for the first and second attempts; and trainee C had times of 12 hours and 9 hours. Which trainee(s) do you think will make the standard? A and B

You are the manager of a large crude-oil refinery. as part of the refining process, a certain heat exchanger (operated at high temperatures and with abrasive material flowing through it) must be replaced every year. the replacement and downtime cost in the first year is $165 comma 000. this cost is expected to increase due to inflation at a rate of 7% per year for six years (i.e. until the eoy 7), at which time this particular heat exchanger will no longer be needed. if the company's cost of capital is 15% per year, how much could you afford to spend for a higher quality heat exchanger so that these annual replacement and downtime costs could be eliminated?