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Sample Practice Test Questions
What is a framing square used for?
marking lines at a right angle
Rulers are used to both measure distance and to draw straight lines. Tape measures are flexible rulers made from cloth or metal and are useful for measuring longer distances and in tighter spaces. Both rulers and tape measures provide similar accuracy, commonly down to \({1 \over 16}\) or \({1 \over 32}\) inch. A steel framing square is made up of a shorter ruler (tongue) and a longer ruler (blade) that meet at a 90° (right) angle. A framing square is often used by carpenters when framing stairs and roofs.
If A = 10 ft., B = 1 ft., C = 9 ft., the green box weighs 50 lbs. and the blue box weighs 60 lbs., what does the orange box have to weigh for this lever to balance?
fAdA = fBdB + fCdC
For this problem, this equation becomes:
50 lbs. x 10 ft. = 60 lbs. x 1 ft. + fC x 9 ft.
500 ft. lbs. = 60 ft. lbs. + fC x 9 ft.
fC = \( \frac{500 ft. lbs. - 60 ft. lbs.}{9 ft.} \) = \( \frac{440 ft. lbs.}{9 ft.} \) = 48.89 lbs.
The spark plugs fire a few extra degrees before top dead center when the engine is running faster. In this case the engine's timing is:
advanced
Ignition timing defines the point in time at the end of the compression stroke that the spark plug fires. Measured in number of degrees before top dead center (BTDC), the exact point that the spark plugs initiate combustion varies depending on the speed of the engine. The timing is advanced (the spark plugs fire a few more degrees BTDC) when the engine is running faster and retarded when it's running slower.
Which of the following is not true about both rectangles and squares?
the lengths of all sides are equal
A rectangle is a parallelogram containing four right angles. Opposite sides (a = c, b = d) are equal and the perimeter is the sum of the lengths of all sides (a + b + c + d) or, comonly, 2 x length x width. The area of a rectangle is length x width. A square is a rectangle with four equal length sides. The perimeter of a square is 4 x length of one side (4s) and the area is the length of one side squared (s2).
What is the primary difference between a rectifier and an inverter?
a rectifier converts an AC input to DC while an inverter converts a DC input to AC
A diode allows current to pass easily in one direction and blocks current in the other direction. Diodes are commonly used for rectification which is the conversion of alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). Because a diode only allows current flow in one direction, it will pass either the upper or lower half of AC waves (half-wave rectification) creating pulsating DC. Multiple diodes can be connected together to utilize both halves of the AC signal in full-wave rectification.
If the handles of a wheelbarrow are 3 ft. from the wheel axle, what force must you exert to lift the handles if it's carrying a 270 lb. load concentrated at a point 0.5 ft. from the axle?
45 lbs
This problem describes a second-class lever and, for a second class lever, the effort force multiplied by the effort distance equals the resistance force multipied by the resistance distance: Fede = Frdr. Plugging in the variables from this problem yields:
Fe x 3 ft. = 270 lbs x 0.5 ft
Fe = 135 ft-lb. / 3 ft
Fe = 45 lbs
A fixed pulley is useful for which of the following?
changing the direction of the input force
A fixed pulley is used to change the direction of a force and does not multiply the force applied. As such, it has a mechanical advantage of one. The benefit of a fixed pulley is that it can allow the force to be applied at a more convenient angle, for example, pulling downward or horizontally to lift an object instead of upward.
This tool is a(n) __________.
adjustable wrench
Wrenches are used to provide grip and mechanical advantage by applying torque to turn objects (or to keep them from turning). The longer the wrench, the more torque that can be applied. Wrench ends are available in two primary types, open-end and box-end. A box-end wrench encloses the bolt head and is useful when more torque is needed or to maintain contact in difficult to reach locations. An open-end wrench is designed for speedily loosening easier to reach fasteners. Wrenches that feature one open and one box end are called combination wrenches and adjustable wrenches feature an open end with an adjustable width.
If all of a roofing company's 6 workers are required to staff 3 roofing crews, how many workers need to be added during the busy season in order to send 7 complete crews out on jobs?
In order to find how many additional workers are needed to staff the extra crews you first need to calculate how many workers are on a crew. There are 6 workers at the company now and that's enough to staff 3 crews so there are \( \frac{6}{3} \) = 2 workers on a crew. 7 crews are needed for the busy season which, at 2 workers per crew, means that the roofing company will need 7 x 2 = 14 total workers to staff the crews during the busy season. The company already employs 6 workers so they need to add 14 - 6 = 8 new staff for the busy season.