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Mechanical Comprehension Test Flashcards

6 cards from real ASVAB practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 6 Mechanical Comprehension Test flashcards as text

  1. A vehicle jack uses a screw with 8 threads per inch and a handle 12 inches long. What is the mechanical advantage of this jack?

    Answer: 603

    MA = (2π × handle length) / pitch. Pitch = 1/8 inch. MA = (2 × 3.14159 × 12) / (1/8) = 75.4 / 0.125 = 603.

  2. If you increase the diameter of a pipe carrying water at constant pressure, what happens to the flow rate?

    Answer: Flow rate increases

    Increasing pipe diameter increases the cross-sectional area, which at constant pressure allows a greater volume of water to flow per unit time, increasing the flow rate.

  3. A wheel and axle system has a wheel with a 24-inch diameter and an axle with a 4-inch diameter. What is the mechanical advantage?

    Answer: 6

    Mechanical advantage of a wheel and axle = wheel radius / axle radius = 12 / 2 = 6. The wheel and axle amplifies force by this factor.

  4. When a spring is compressed to half its natural length, compared to compressing it by one-quarter, the stored energy is:

    Answer: Four times as much

    Spring potential energy = ½kx², where x is the compression distance. If you double the compression distance, energy increases by 2² = 4 times. Half natural length represents twice the compression of quarter natural length.

  5. A hydraulic press has a small piston with an area of 2 square inches and a large piston with an area of 20 square inches. If you apply 50 pounds to the small piston, what force does the large piston exert?

    Answer: 500 pounds

    Pascal's Law states that pressure is transmitted equally throughout a fluid. Pressure = 50/2 = 25 PSI. Force on large piston = 25 × 20 = 500 pounds.

  6. Two objects are dropped simultaneously from the same height — one weighs 5 pounds and the other weighs 50 pounds. Which hits the ground first?

    Answer: They hit at the same time

    In the absence of air resistance, all objects fall at the same rate regardless of mass (9.8 m/s²). Both objects will hit the ground simultaneously, demonstrating Galileo's principle of free fall.