ASVAB Mechanical Comprehension Practice Test 870839 Results

Your Results Global Average
Questions 5 5
Correct 0 3.15
Score 0% 63%

Review

1

Specific gravity is a comparison of the density of an object with the density of:

57% Answer Correctly

oil

carbon

air

water


Solution

Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of equal volumes of a substance and water and is measured by a hyrdometer.


2

Which of these will have the most impact on the kinetic energy of an object?

54% Answer Correctly

its direction

its mass

its weight

its speed


Solution

Kinetic energy is the energy of movement and is a function of the mass of an object and its speed: \(KE = {1 \over 2}mv^2\) where m is mass in kilograms, v is speed in meters per second, and KE is in joules. The most impactful quantity to kinetic energy is velocity as an increase in mass increases KE linearly while an increase in speed increases KE exponentially.


3

The mechanical advantage of a block and tackle is equal to which of the following?

69% Answer Correctly

the number of connecting ropes

the number of pulleys

the number of input forces

the number of loads


Solution

Two or more pulleys used together constitute a block and tackle which, unlike a fixed pulley, does impart mechanical advantage as a function of the number of pulleys that make up the arrangement.  So, for example, a block and tackle with three pulleys would have a mechanical advantage of three.


4

What type of load acts on a relatively small area of a structure?

74% Answer Correctly

non-uniformly distributed load

concentrated load

dynamic load

impact load


Solution

A concentrated load acts on a relatively small area of a structure, a static uniformly distributed load doesn't create specific stress points or vary with time, a dynamic load varies with time or affects a structure that experiences a high degree of movement, an impact load is sudden and for a relatively short duration and a non-uniformly distributed load creates different stresses at different locations on a structure.


5 If the green box is 9 ft. from the fulcrum and a certain force applied 2 ft. from the fulcrum at the blue arrow balances the lever, what is the mechanical advantage?
61% Answer Correctly
0.07
0.22
0.2
-1.78

Solution

Because this lever is in equilibrium, we know that the effort force at the blue arrow is equal to the resistance weight of the green box. For a lever that's in equilibrium, one method of calculating mechanical advantage (MA) is to divide the length of the effort arm (Ea) by the length of the resistance arm (Ra):

MA = \( \frac{E_a}{R_a} \) = \( \frac{2 ft.}{9 ft.} \) = 0.22

When a lever is in equilibrium, the torque from the effort and the resistance are equal. The equation for equilibrium is Rada = Rbdb where a and b are the two points at which effort/resistance is being applied to the lever.

In this problem, Ra and Rb are such that the lever is in equilibrium meaning that some multiple of the weight of the green box is being applied at the blue arrow. For a lever, this multiple is a function of the ratio of the distances of the box and the arrow from the fulcrum. That's why, for a lever in equilibrium, only the distances from the fulcrum are necessary to calculate mechanical advantage.

If the lever were not in equilibrium, you would first have to calculate the forces and distances necessary to put it in equilibrium and then divide Ea by Ra to get the mechanical advantage.