Mechanical Comprehension

Practice all of Mechanical Comprehension

Questions from every topic, mixed together. The quickest way to see where you stand.

Or practice one topic

Best right after you read that topic’s lesson, to check it stuck. These are the 18 topics in Mechanical Comprehension, in the order worth learning them.

• Force and Newton's LawsAction and reaction, equilibrium, tension in ropes and cables, and resolving more than one force on a body.
• Work, Energy and PowerWork as force times distance, kinetic and potential energy, and power as work over time.
• Mechanical AdvantageThe force-for-distance trade that every simple machine makes, and why none creates energy.
• LeversThe three classes, fulcrum placement, and calculating advantage from arm lengths.
• PulleysFixed, movable and compound systems, and counting supporting rope segments.
• GearsGear ratios, direction reversal, belt drives, and the speed against torque trade.
• Inclined Planes, Wedges and ScrewsThree expressions of one idea, and how thread pitch sets advantage.
• Wheel and AxleRadius ratio as advantage, and where the arrangement appears in real equipment.
• Torque and RotationForce times lever arm, why a longer handle helps, and rotational equilibrium.
• FrictionStatic against kinetic, what changes it, and where it helps rather than hinders.
• Heat and Thermal EffectsConduction, convection and radiation, specific and latent heat, thermal expansion, and how cooling systems move heat away.
• Momentum and CollisionsMass times velocity, conservation of momentum, and why a heavier body is harder to stop.
• Gravity, Weight and Center of GravityMass against weight, stability, tipping, and where a load is carried.
• Springs and ElasticityCompression and extension, spring constant, and springs in series or parallel.
• Pressure and HydraulicsForce over area, Pascal's principle, and how a hydraulic jack multiplies force.
• Fluids and BuoyancyDensity, displacement, flow rate, and why things float.
• Structures and SupportsBeams, braces and load paths, and how a load divides between two supports.
• Materials and Their PropertiesStrength, ductility and brittleness, alloys, heat treatment, corrosion, and choosing a material for a job.