ASA-AVIATION MAINTENANCE
TECHNICIAN GENERAL-ORAL
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. What constititues a capacitor? - Correct Answers -Two conductors separated by an
insulator.
2. What is the purpose of a capacitor? - Correct Answers -Stores electrical energy in
electrostatic fields.
3. Does a capacitor cause current to lead or lag voltage in an AC Circuit? - Correct
Answers -It causes the current to lead the voltage.
4. What is the basic unit of capacitance? - Correct Answers -The Farad.
5. Why shouldn't electrolytic capacitors be used in an AC circuit? - Correct Answers -
They are polarized, it will pass current of one polarity and block the opposite.
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. What is meant by inductance? - Correct Answers -Ability to store electrical energy in
electromagnetic fields.
2. What is the basic unit of inductance? - Correct Answers -The Henry.
3. What is an example of an inductor used in a magneto? - Correct Answers -The Coil.
4. Does an inductor cause current to lead or lag voltage in an AC Circuit? - Correct
Answers -It causes the current to lag behind the voltage.
5. How can you find the polarity of an electromagnet? - Correct Answers -Hold the
electromagnet in your left hand with your fingers encircling the coil in the direction
electrons flow (from negative to positive). Your thumb will point to the north pole of the
electromagnet.
6. What is meant by impedance? - Correct Answers -The total opposition to the flow of
alternating current. It is the vector sum of resistance, capacitive reactance, and
inductive reactance.
,7. In what units is impedance measured? - Correct Answers -In Ohms.
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. What are the five sources of electrical energy? - Correct Answers -Magnetism,
chemical energy, light, heat, and pressure.
2. What is the basic unit of power in a DC circuit? - Correct Answers -The Watt.
3. What is meant by a Kilowatt? - Correct Answers -1,000 watts.
4. What is meant by a Megawatt? - Correct Answers -1,000,000 watts.
5. What is the formula for power in a DC circuit? - Correct Answers -
Power=Voltage*Current (P=E*I).
6. What is the relationship between mechanical and electrical power? - Correct Answers
-1 Horsepower=746 Watts.
7. What is meant by true power in an AC Circuit? - Correct Answers -The product of
circuit voltage and the current in phase with that voltage.
8. In what unit is true power expressed? - Correct Answers -Watts.
9. What is meant by apparent power in an AC circuit? - Correct Answers -The product of
circuit voltage and circuit current.
10. In what units is apparent power expressed? - Correct Answers -Volt-Amps.
11. What is meant by reactive power in an AC circuit? - Correct Answers -The power
consumed in the inductive and capacitive reactances in an AC circuit. Reactive power is
also called wattless power.
12. In what units is reactive power expressed? - Correct Answers -In Volt-Amps
Reactive (VAR), or Kilovolt-amps reactive (KVAR).
13. What is meant by the power factor in an AC circuit? - Correct Answers -The ratio to
true power and apparent power. It is also the ratio of circuit resistance and circuit
impedance.
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. Which law of electricity is the most important? - Correct Answers -Ohm's Law.
2. What are the elements of Ohm's Law? - Correct Answers -Voltage E, current I, and
resistance R.
,3. What is voltage? - Correct Answers -Electrical pressure.
4. What is the basic unit of voltage? - Correct Answers -Volt.
5. What instrument is used to measure voltage? - Correct Answers -Voltmeter.
6. Is a voltmeter placed in series or parallel to measure voltage? - Correct Answers -
Parallel.
7. What is electrical current? - Correct Answers -The flow of electrons in a circuit.
8. What is the basic unit of current flow? - Correct Answers -Amp or ampere.
9. What part of an amp is a milliamp? - Correct Answers -One thousandth of an amp.
(0.001)
10. What instrument is used to measure current? - Correct Answers -Ammeter.
11. What two things happen when current flows through a conductor? - Correct
Answers -Heat is generated and a magnetic field surrounds the conductor.
12. Is an ammeter placed in series or parallel to measure current? - Correct Answers -In
series.
13. What is meant by resistance in an electrical circuit? - Correct Answers -Opposition
to the flow of electrons.
14. What is the basic unit of electrical resistance? - Correct Answers -Ohm.
15. What is a megaohm? - Correct Answers -1,000,000 ohms.
16. What four things affect the resistance of an electrical conductor? - Correct Answers
-Material, Cross-sectional area, length, and temperature.
17. What instrument is used to measure electrical resistance? - Correct Answers -
Ohmmeter.
18. How can you tell the resistance of a composition resistor? - Correct Answers -A
series of colored bands.
19. What is meant by continuity in an electrical circuit? - Correct Answers -The circuit is
continuous or complete when the electrons can flow from one terminal of the power
source to another.
20. What instrument is used to measure continuity in an electrical circuit? - Correct
Answers -An Ohmmeter.
, 21. When measuring resistance of a component with an ohmmeter, should the circuit be
energized? - Correct Answers -No, there should be no power in the circuit.
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. What three things must an electric circuit contain? - Correct Answers -Source of
electrical energy, a load, and conductors to join the source and the load.
2. What are three types of DC circuits with regard to the placement of the various circuit
components? - Correct Answers -Series, Parallel, and Series-Parallel.
3. What is the name of the law that describes the relationship in an electrical circuit of
voltage, current, and resistance? - Correct Answers -Ohm's Law.
4. What is the Basic equation of Ohm's Law? - Correct Answers -E=I*R.
5. What formula is used to find current when voltage and resistance are known? -
Correct Answers -I=E/R.
6. What formula is used to find current when voltage and resistance are known? -
Correct Answers -R=E/I.
7. What happens to the current in a DC circuit if the voltage is increased but the
resistance remains the same? - Correct Answers -It increases.
8. What happens to the current in a conductor if the length of the conductor is doubled
with all other parameters unchanged? - Correct Answers -It would decrease by half.
9. What is the voltage across each resistor connected in parallel across a 12-volt
battery? - Correct Answers -12 volts.
10. How much current flows through each of the three resistors connected in series if
the total current is 3 amps? - Correct Answers -3 amps.
11. What is the total resistance of three 12-ohm resistors connected in series? - Correct
Answers -36 ohms.
12. What is the total resistance of three 12-ohm resistors connected in parallel? -
Correct Answers -4 ohms.
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. What is meant by the capacity rating of a lead-acid battery? - Correct Answers -
Number of hours a battery can supply a given current flow.
2. In what units is a battery capacity expressed? - Correct Answers -Ampere-Hours.
TECHNICIAN GENERAL-ORAL
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. What constititues a capacitor? - Correct Answers -Two conductors separated by an
insulator.
2. What is the purpose of a capacitor? - Correct Answers -Stores electrical energy in
electrostatic fields.
3. Does a capacitor cause current to lead or lag voltage in an AC Circuit? - Correct
Answers -It causes the current to lead the voltage.
4. What is the basic unit of capacitance? - Correct Answers -The Farad.
5. Why shouldn't electrolytic capacitors be used in an AC circuit? - Correct Answers -
They are polarized, it will pass current of one polarity and block the opposite.
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. What is meant by inductance? - Correct Answers -Ability to store electrical energy in
electromagnetic fields.
2. What is the basic unit of inductance? - Correct Answers -The Henry.
3. What is an example of an inductor used in a magneto? - Correct Answers -The Coil.
4. Does an inductor cause current to lead or lag voltage in an AC Circuit? - Correct
Answers -It causes the current to lag behind the voltage.
5. How can you find the polarity of an electromagnet? - Correct Answers -Hold the
electromagnet in your left hand with your fingers encircling the coil in the direction
electrons flow (from negative to positive). Your thumb will point to the north pole of the
electromagnet.
6. What is meant by impedance? - Correct Answers -The total opposition to the flow of
alternating current. It is the vector sum of resistance, capacitive reactance, and
inductive reactance.
,7. In what units is impedance measured? - Correct Answers -In Ohms.
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. What are the five sources of electrical energy? - Correct Answers -Magnetism,
chemical energy, light, heat, and pressure.
2. What is the basic unit of power in a DC circuit? - Correct Answers -The Watt.
3. What is meant by a Kilowatt? - Correct Answers -1,000 watts.
4. What is meant by a Megawatt? - Correct Answers -1,000,000 watts.
5. What is the formula for power in a DC circuit? - Correct Answers -
Power=Voltage*Current (P=E*I).
6. What is the relationship between mechanical and electrical power? - Correct Answers
-1 Horsepower=746 Watts.
7. What is meant by true power in an AC Circuit? - Correct Answers -The product of
circuit voltage and the current in phase with that voltage.
8. In what unit is true power expressed? - Correct Answers -Watts.
9. What is meant by apparent power in an AC circuit? - Correct Answers -The product of
circuit voltage and circuit current.
10. In what units is apparent power expressed? - Correct Answers -Volt-Amps.
11. What is meant by reactive power in an AC circuit? - Correct Answers -The power
consumed in the inductive and capacitive reactances in an AC circuit. Reactive power is
also called wattless power.
12. In what units is reactive power expressed? - Correct Answers -In Volt-Amps
Reactive (VAR), or Kilovolt-amps reactive (KVAR).
13. What is meant by the power factor in an AC circuit? - Correct Answers -The ratio to
true power and apparent power. It is also the ratio of circuit resistance and circuit
impedance.
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. Which law of electricity is the most important? - Correct Answers -Ohm's Law.
2. What are the elements of Ohm's Law? - Correct Answers -Voltage E, current I, and
resistance R.
,3. What is voltage? - Correct Answers -Electrical pressure.
4. What is the basic unit of voltage? - Correct Answers -Volt.
5. What instrument is used to measure voltage? - Correct Answers -Voltmeter.
6. Is a voltmeter placed in series or parallel to measure voltage? - Correct Answers -
Parallel.
7. What is electrical current? - Correct Answers -The flow of electrons in a circuit.
8. What is the basic unit of current flow? - Correct Answers -Amp or ampere.
9. What part of an amp is a milliamp? - Correct Answers -One thousandth of an amp.
(0.001)
10. What instrument is used to measure current? - Correct Answers -Ammeter.
11. What two things happen when current flows through a conductor? - Correct
Answers -Heat is generated and a magnetic field surrounds the conductor.
12. Is an ammeter placed in series or parallel to measure current? - Correct Answers -In
series.
13. What is meant by resistance in an electrical circuit? - Correct Answers -Opposition
to the flow of electrons.
14. What is the basic unit of electrical resistance? - Correct Answers -Ohm.
15. What is a megaohm? - Correct Answers -1,000,000 ohms.
16. What four things affect the resistance of an electrical conductor? - Correct Answers
-Material, Cross-sectional area, length, and temperature.
17. What instrument is used to measure electrical resistance? - Correct Answers -
Ohmmeter.
18. How can you tell the resistance of a composition resistor? - Correct Answers -A
series of colored bands.
19. What is meant by continuity in an electrical circuit? - Correct Answers -The circuit is
continuous or complete when the electrons can flow from one terminal of the power
source to another.
20. What instrument is used to measure continuity in an electrical circuit? - Correct
Answers -An Ohmmeter.
, 21. When measuring resistance of a component with an ohmmeter, should the circuit be
energized? - Correct Answers -No, there should be no power in the circuit.
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. What three things must an electric circuit contain? - Correct Answers -Source of
electrical energy, a load, and conductors to join the source and the load.
2. What are three types of DC circuits with regard to the placement of the various circuit
components? - Correct Answers -Series, Parallel, and Series-Parallel.
3. What is the name of the law that describes the relationship in an electrical circuit of
voltage, current, and resistance? - Correct Answers -Ohm's Law.
4. What is the Basic equation of Ohm's Law? - Correct Answers -E=I*R.
5. What formula is used to find current when voltage and resistance are known? -
Correct Answers -I=E/R.
6. What formula is used to find current when voltage and resistance are known? -
Correct Answers -R=E/I.
7. What happens to the current in a DC circuit if the voltage is increased but the
resistance remains the same? - Correct Answers -It increases.
8. What happens to the current in a conductor if the length of the conductor is doubled
with all other parameters unchanged? - Correct Answers -It would decrease by half.
9. What is the voltage across each resistor connected in parallel across a 12-volt
battery? - Correct Answers -12 volts.
10. How much current flows through each of the three resistors connected in series if
the total current is 3 amps? - Correct Answers -3 amps.
11. What is the total resistance of three 12-ohm resistors connected in series? - Correct
Answers -36 ohms.
12. What is the total resistance of three 12-ohm resistors connected in parallel? -
Correct Answers -4 ohms.
(References: AMT-G, Chapter 4)
1. What is meant by the capacity rating of a lead-acid battery? - Correct Answers -
Number of hours a battery can supply a given current flow.
2. In what units is a battery capacity expressed? - Correct Answers -Ampere-Hours.
