FREE RCAT Mechanical Reasoning Questions and Answers
What is the main function of a lever?
A lever amplifies an input force to lift or move a heavier load.
Which tool is used to measure the diameter of a cylindrical object?
A caliper is designed to measure the diameter of cylindrical objects accurately
If gear A has 20 teeth and gear B has 40 teeth, how many times will gear A rotate for every rotation of gear B?
Gear A will rotate twice for every rotation of gear B because it has half the number of teeth.
If a wheel and axle system has a wheel radius of 0.5 meters and an axle radius of 0.1 meters, what is the mechanical advantage of the system?
The mechanical advantage is the ratio of the wheel radius to the axle radius: 0.5 𝑚 / 0.1 m = 5 0.5 m / 0.1 m = 5.
What type of simple machine is a screw?
A screw is essentially an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder.
Which of the following statements about a block and tackle system is true?
A block and tackle system decreases the force needed by distributing the load over multiple pulleys.
What is the purpose of a hydraulic press?
A hydraulic press uses fluid pressure to lift or compress heavy objects.
Which type of gear system allows for the change of direction by 90 degrees?
Bevel gears are designed to change the direction of a drive by 90 degrees.
In a pulley system, what effect does adding more pulleys have on the effort needed to lift a load?
Adding more pulleys reduces the effort needed to lift a load by distributing the weight more evenly.
If a 10N force is applied to a lever 2 meters from the fulcrum, what is the torque produced?
Torque is calculated as force times distance from the fulcrum: 10 𝑁 × 2 𝑚 = 20 𝑁 𝑚 0N×2m=20Nm.
Which of the following mechanisms is used to maintain a constant speed of rotation?
A flywheel is used to maintain a constant speed of rotation by storing rotational energy.