ASVAB: Mechanical Comprehension
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The wheel of a car has a diameter of 16 inches and moves a smaller wheel of 4 inches.
What is the mechanical advantage gained by the system?
a.)1:4
b.)4:1
c.)1:2
d.)2:1 - ✔✔b.)4:1
A lever
a.)Reduces resistance
b.)Multiplies force and changes direction
c.)Transmits power from one object to another
d.)Cannot move in the reverse direction - ✔✔b.)Multiplies force and changes direction
Tension can best be called
a.)A weight
b.)A force
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,c.)A movement
d.)A direction - ✔✔b.)A force
Which of the following wedges generates the greatest amount of force.
a.)11" long and 4" high
b.)9" long and 4" high
c.)7" long and 4" high
d.)5" long and 4" high - ✔✔a.)11" long and 4" high
You're trying to replace a flat. How much torque are you applying to a wheel nut if
you're applying 40 pounds with a wrench measuring 9"?
a.)4 ft-lb
b.)30 ft-lb
c.)53 ft-lb
d.)360 ft-lb - ✔✔*Torque is calculated by multiplying force (in pounds) and length (in
feet). Thus, 40 pounds multiplied by .75 feet gives us 30 ft-lb of torque.
1 ft=12 in
Divide 9 in by 12 ft=.75ft
b.)30 ft-lb
Which of the following situations requires overcoming the least amount of kinetic
friction?
a.)Pushing an empty refrigerator box down a path
b.)Pushing a refrigerator in its box down a path
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,c.)Pushing an empty refrigerator box down an icy path
d.)Pushing a refrigerator in its box down an icy path - ✔✔c.)Pushing an empty
refrigerator box down an icy path
What measures how much force is applied to an object in order to rotate it?
a.)Torque
b.)Friction
c.)Pressure
d.)Vector - ✔✔a.)Torque
Which of the following is NOT a unit of power?
a.)Watt
b.)Horsepower
c.)Volt-ampere
d.)Newton - ✔✔d.)Newton
What is the potential energy of a 4 lb. book held 50 feet in the air?
a.)1,960 J
b.)268 J
c.)200 J
d.)27 J - ✔✔*Potential energy is calculated by multiplying mass (in kilograms),
acceleration due to gravity, and height (in meters). Thus, the potential energy of the
book is 268.128 J: 1.8 kilograms multiplied by 15.2 meters multiplied by 9.8 m/s2.
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, b.)268 J
When a machine compounds the force you use, it gives you a(n)
a.)Mechanical advantage
b.)Output advantage
c.)Mechanical leverage
d.)Output leverage - ✔✔a.)Mechanical advantage
Which of the following is an example of potential energy?
a.)Rain falling
b.)A bowling ball rolling
c.)A slinky at the top of stairs
d.)A person walking down a hill - ✔✔c.)A slinky at the top of stairs
*Potential energy is energy that can be converted to movement, like a diver ABOUT to
jump. Potential energy is dependent on an object's position. For example, a diver at the
top of a tall cliff has considerable potential energy. Potential energy is measured in
joules (J).
A 180 pound person dives off of a 30 foot cliff. What is their velocity as they enter the
water?
a.)588 m/s
b.)178 m/s
c.)24 m/s
d.)13 m/s - ✔✔d.)13 m/s
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Exam Questions and Answers 100%
Pass
The wheel of a car has a diameter of 16 inches and moves a smaller wheel of 4 inches.
What is the mechanical advantage gained by the system?
a.)1:4
b.)4:1
c.)1:2
d.)2:1 - ✔✔b.)4:1
A lever
a.)Reduces resistance
b.)Multiplies force and changes direction
c.)Transmits power from one object to another
d.)Cannot move in the reverse direction - ✔✔b.)Multiplies force and changes direction
Tension can best be called
a.)A weight
b.)A force
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY KATELYN WHITMAN, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
,c.)A movement
d.)A direction - ✔✔b.)A force
Which of the following wedges generates the greatest amount of force.
a.)11" long and 4" high
b.)9" long and 4" high
c.)7" long and 4" high
d.)5" long and 4" high - ✔✔a.)11" long and 4" high
You're trying to replace a flat. How much torque are you applying to a wheel nut if
you're applying 40 pounds with a wrench measuring 9"?
a.)4 ft-lb
b.)30 ft-lb
c.)53 ft-lb
d.)360 ft-lb - ✔✔*Torque is calculated by multiplying force (in pounds) and length (in
feet). Thus, 40 pounds multiplied by .75 feet gives us 30 ft-lb of torque.
1 ft=12 in
Divide 9 in by 12 ft=.75ft
b.)30 ft-lb
Which of the following situations requires overcoming the least amount of kinetic
friction?
a.)Pushing an empty refrigerator box down a path
b.)Pushing a refrigerator in its box down a path
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY KATELYN WHITMAN, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
,c.)Pushing an empty refrigerator box down an icy path
d.)Pushing a refrigerator in its box down an icy path - ✔✔c.)Pushing an empty
refrigerator box down an icy path
What measures how much force is applied to an object in order to rotate it?
a.)Torque
b.)Friction
c.)Pressure
d.)Vector - ✔✔a.)Torque
Which of the following is NOT a unit of power?
a.)Watt
b.)Horsepower
c.)Volt-ampere
d.)Newton - ✔✔d.)Newton
What is the potential energy of a 4 lb. book held 50 feet in the air?
a.)1,960 J
b.)268 J
c.)200 J
d.)27 J - ✔✔*Potential energy is calculated by multiplying mass (in kilograms),
acceleration due to gravity, and height (in meters). Thus, the potential energy of the
book is 268.128 J: 1.8 kilograms multiplied by 15.2 meters multiplied by 9.8 m/s2.
COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY KATELYN WHITMAN, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3
, b.)268 J
When a machine compounds the force you use, it gives you a(n)
a.)Mechanical advantage
b.)Output advantage
c.)Mechanical leverage
d.)Output leverage - ✔✔a.)Mechanical advantage
Which of the following is an example of potential energy?
a.)Rain falling
b.)A bowling ball rolling
c.)A slinky at the top of stairs
d.)A person walking down a hill - ✔✔c.)A slinky at the top of stairs
*Potential energy is energy that can be converted to movement, like a diver ABOUT to
jump. Potential energy is dependent on an object's position. For example, a diver at the
top of a tall cliff has considerable potential energy. Potential energy is measured in
joules (J).
A 180 pound person dives off of a 30 foot cliff. What is their velocity as they enter the
water?
a.)588 m/s
b.)178 m/s
c.)24 m/s
d.)13 m/s - ✔✔d.)13 m/s
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