WTMA Mechanical Comprehension 2

Question 1

A lever has its fulcrum positioned 1 foot from a 100-lb load and 4 feet from the effort point. How much force is needed to lift the load?

Accepted Answer

25 lbs

Answer

Using the lever principle, effort × effort arm = load × load arm, so effort = 100 × 1 ÷ 4 = 25 lbs.

Question 2

Two gears mesh together. Gear A has 20 teeth and turns at 60 RPM. Gear B has 40 teeth. How fast does Gear B turn?

Accepted Answer

30 RPM

Answer

When gears mesh, speed is inversely proportional to tooth count, so Gear B = 60 × (20/40) = 30 RPM.

Question 3

A hydraulic jack has an input piston with area 2 sq in and output piston with area 10 sq in. If you apply 50 lbs of force to the input, what force does the output produce?

Accepted Answer

250 lbs

Answer

Pascal's law: output force = input force × (output area ÷ input area) = 50 × (10/2) = 250 lbs.

Question 4

Which type of wrench provides the most torque with the least chance of rounding off a bolt head?

Accepted Answer

Box-end wrench

Answer

A box-end (closed) wrench grips all six sides of a hex bolt, distributing force evenly and minimizing slippage.

Question 5

A ball is rolling across a flat surface and encounters an incline going downhill. What happens to its speed?

Accepted Answer

It increases

Answer

Gravity adds energy as the ball descends the incline, converting potential energy to kinetic energy and increasing speed.

WTMA - Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude Practice Test

WTMA - Wiesen Test of Mechanical Aptitude Practice Test

WTMA Mechanical Comprehension 2