Engineering quiz

More questions about Engineering

These visible examples show the question style. LearnClash turns the full topic into ranked duels and spaced repetition.

1. 1 Easy

   Which element turns iron into steel?

   Answer: Carbon

   Why: Steel holds at most about 2.1% carbon; iron with more than that is cast iron, which cannot be hammered into shape even when hot.

2. 2 Medium

   How is the fuel lit in a diesel engine?

   Answer: Hot compressed air

   Why: Diesels usually squeeze their air to between a fifteenth and a twenty-third of its volume, which heats it enough to light the fuel.

3. 3 Hard

   Which curve does a chain make when hung by its ends?

   Answer: Catenary

   Why: Turned upside down, a catenary becomes the ideal arch, one that carries its own weight in pure compression.

4. 4 Easy

   Which kitchen appliance is a heat pump?

   Answer: Fridge

   Why: A fridge pumps heat out of its cabinet and releases it through the coils on its back, which is why they feel warm.

5. 5 Medium

   What doubles when a gear drives one with twice its teeth?

   Answer: Torque

   Why: The bigger gear pays for the extra torque in speed, turning only half as fast as the small gear that drives it.

6. 6 Hard

   Why are a long suspension bridge's towers farther apart at the top?

   Answer: Earth's curvature

   Why: Both towers point at Earth's centre, so on the Humber Bridge the tops sit 36 mm farther apart than the bases.