WTMA Center of Gravity and Stability 4

Question 1

A pickup truck's cargo bed has heavy equipment stacked on the left side only. When making a right turn at speed, the truck is most at risk of:

Accepted Answer

Tipping to the left (driver's side)

Answer

The off-center load shifts the center of gravity left; centrifugal force during a right turn adds lateral force, increasing tip risk toward the loaded left side.

Question 2

A mechanic is adjusting a machine part and notices it always rolls to the same side when released on a flat surface. This tells her that the part's center of gravity is:

Accepted Answer

Offset to the side it rolls toward

Answer

Objects roll toward their center of gravity; if a part consistently rolls to one side, the center of gravity is offset in that direction.

Question 3

Two people carry a heavy door on a horizontal surface. Person A is at one end, Person B at the other. If the door's center of gravity is closer to Person A, then Person A supports:

Accepted Answer

More weight because the center of gravity is nearer to them

Answer

The carrier closest to the center of gravity bears more of the load because the lever arm to their side is shorter.

Question 4

A construction worker places sandbags at the base of a portable sign to prevent it from tipping over. The sandbags improve stability by:

Accepted Answer

Lowering the center of gravity and widening the effective base

Answer

Sandbags add low mass that lowers the combined center of gravity and increases resistance to tipping by anchoring the base.

Question 5

An airplane loads cargo into the rear of the fuselage, moving the plane's center of gravity toward the tail. This makes the plane:

Accepted Answer

Tail-heavy, requiring corrective control inputs to maintain level flight

Answer

A rearward center of gravity makes an aircraft tail-heavy and less stable longitudinally, requiring constant forward elevator correction.

WTMA - Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude Practice Test

WTMA - Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude Practice Test

WTMA Center of Gravity and Stability 4