Analysis of the failure of a mechanical device requires investigation of the circumstances surrounding the failure, inspection of the mechanical device, interpretation of the information gathered during that inspection, and reverse engineering of the incident, with the end goal of reaching a conclusion as to the cause and mechanism of the failure. Often during the process of post-failure forensic analysis, hypotheses are posited to explain the failure. As an investigative engineer, the formulation of hypotheses to explain the failure often occurs after the initial investigation is conducted and the engineer has a general understanding of the conditions present at the time of the failure. If hypotheses are developed before the investigation begins, there may be too many hypotheses to consider. The hypotheses are then tested to determine their strength and false hypotheses are discarded. True hypotheses are assembled into an explanation of the failure.
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