Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

MECHANICAL COMPREHENSION – TEST SECTION 2

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Question 1

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Which weight requires the most force to lift it?

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5 Kg
r 5 Kg
ID
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A B
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A B C
Both the same A B
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Question 2
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How much weight is required to balance point X?

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20 Kg
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1m 2m
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A B C D
5Kg 10Kg 15Kg 20Kg
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 3
If cog C turns anti-clockwise at a speed of 10rpm, which way and at what

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speed will cog B turn?

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C B

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ID
A B C D
10rpm / 10rpm / 20 rpm / 20 rpm /
anti-clockwise clockwise anti-clockwise clockwise
r
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Question 4
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Which tool would you use to claw nails from wood?

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1 2
co
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3 4
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A B C D
Ho

1 2 3 4
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 5
If bulb 2 is removed, which bulbs will illuminate?

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2 3

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1 4

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A
r B ID
C D
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1 3 4 None
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Question 6
When the switch is closed, how many bulbs will illuminate when bulb 3 is
removed?
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2 3
co
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1 4
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Ho

A B C D
None One Two Three
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 7
If cog B turns anti-clockwise which way will cog A turn?

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54
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r ID
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A B
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Clockwise Anti-clockwise

Question 8
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If wheel A is three times the diameter of wheel B, and rotates at 55rpm, what
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speed will wheel B rotate at?

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Ho

A B C
55 rpm 110 rpm 165 rpm
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 9
How much force is required to lift the 75 kg weight?

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54
00
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r ID
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75 Kg
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A B C D
m

15 kg 37.5 kg 75 kg 150 kg
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Question 10
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A screw has 8 threads per inch. How many full turns are required for the nut
to travel 3 inches?
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A B C D
8 turns 12 turns 16 turns 24 turns
Ho
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 11
Cog A has 12 teeth and Cog B has 18 teeth. If cog B completes two full turns,

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how many rotations will Cog A complete?

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Cog A
Cog B

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A r B
ID C D
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3 rotations 2 rotations 1.5 rotations 1 rotation
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Question 12
If Cog 4 turns anti-clockwise, which other cogs will also turn anti-clockwise?
m
co
Be
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Ho

A B C D
Cog 1 only Cogs 1 and 3 Cog 3 only Cogs 2 and 3
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 13
A thick block of wood rests on an even and level, sandpaper surface. What

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mechanical principle makes it difficult to push this block sideways?

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A B C D
Spring force Gravitational force Air resistance force Frictional force

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Question 14

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When water is poured in to a tank, what happens to the pressure on the sur-
face?

ID
A B C
Decreases Stays the same Increases
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Question 15
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The following three HGV’s are parked on an incline. Their centre of gravity is
identified by a dot. Which of the three HGV’s is the most likely to fall over?
m
co
Be
w2
Ho

A B C
A B C
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 16
Which of the following most resembles a lever?

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A B C D

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Swing Car Elevator Seesaw

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Question 17
In which tube will the water rise the highest?

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A B

r ID
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A B C D
Tube A Tube B Both the same Cannot say
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co
Be
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Ho
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 18
If the temperature remains constant, what will happen to the volume of

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trapped gas if the pressure is doubled?

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A = the volume it occupies will reduce by 1/3.
B = the volume will double.

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C = the volume will reduce by 1/4.
D = the volume will reduce by 1/2.

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Air

ID
Pressure gauge

r Pump
se
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Answer
m

Question 19
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How far would you have to pull the rope up to lift the weight 5 feet?
Be
w2
Ho

A B C D
5 feet 10 feet 15 feet 30 feet
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 20
If Cog X turns 40 times, how many times will Cog Y turn?

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ID
A B C D
40 turns 80 turns 120 turns 160 turns

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se
Question 21
Which gate is the strongest?
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m
co
Be
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Answer
Ho
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 22
Which of the following pulley systems has a mechanical advantage of 3?

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W W
W W

ID
A B C D

A
r B C D E
se
A and B C and D B and D D None
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Question 23
Which direction should the wind blow in order for the plane to take off with
the shortest runway?
m

Wind Wind
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Be
w2
Ho

Answer
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 24
Which wheel will rotate the least number of times in one hour?

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A B

ID
Wheel A Wheel B

Question 25
r
se
What shape is the equilibrium?
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m
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A C
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A B C D
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Shape A Shape B Shape C All the same

Ho
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 26
If cog C rotates clockwise at a speed of 120 rpm, at what speed and direction

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will cog A rotate? (rpm = revolutions per minute)

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Cog C
Cog A

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ID
Cog B

A
r B C D
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120rpm 120rpm 40rpm 40rpm
clockwise anti-clockwise clockwise anti-clockwise
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Question 27
A cannonball is fired from a cannon horizontally. At the same time you drop
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a cannon ball of the same weight from the same height. Which will hit the
ground first?
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A B C
Dropped ball Fired ball Both the same
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Ho
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 28
How much weight in kilograms will need to be added in order to balance the

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beam?

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? Kg

30 Kg

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2 meters 2 meters

ID
A B C D
10 kg 15 kg 30 kg 60 kg
r
se
Question 29
How much weight in kilograms will need to be added in order to balance the
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beam?

? Kg
m

20 Kg
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2 meters 4 meters
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A B C D
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10 kg 20 kg 40 kg 80 kg
Ho
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Question 30
How much weight in kilograms will need to be added in order to balance the

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beam?

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? Kg

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20 Kg

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3 meters 1.5 meters

A
10 kg
r B
20 kg
ID C
30 kg
D
40 kg
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m
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Ho
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

ANSWERS TO MECHANICAL COMPREHENSION –

TEST SECTION 2

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Q1. B = A
EXPLANATION = If the pulley is fixed, then the force required to lift the weight

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is the same as the weight, i.e. 5kg. However, when the pulley system is not
fixed and it moves with the weight, as is the case with pulley system B, then the
weight required to lift it is half the weight. This means that the weight required

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to lift B is 2.5kg. The answer to the question is therefore answer option B.

Q2. B = 10 kg

ID
EXPLANATION = Point X is twice the distance from the balance point;
therefore, half the weight is required. The answer is B, 10Kg.
r
Q3. B = 10 rpm/clockwise
se
EXPLANATION = if cog C turns anti-clockwise at a speed of 10rpm, then cog
B will rotate at the same speed; but in a clockwise direction.
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Q4. A = 1
EXPLANATION = the only tool that you can use from the selection, to claw
nails from wood, is hammer A.
m

Q5. D = none
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EXPLANATION = no bulbs would illuminate because the circuit, in its current

state, is not working. This is due to the switch being open.
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Q6. C = two
EXPLANATION = only two bulbs would illuminate (bulbs 1 and 2). The broken
circuit would prevent bulb 4 from illuminating.
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Q7. A = clockwise
EXPLANATION = Cog A will turn clockwise.
Ho

Q8. C = 165 rpm

EXPLANATION = because wheel A is three times greater in diameter than
wheel B, each revolution of A will lead to 3 times the revolution of B. Therefore,
if wheel A rotates at 55 rpm, B will rotate at 55 rpm × 3 = 165 rpm.
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Q9. B = 37.5 kg
EXPLANATION = this type of pulley system has a mechanical advantage of 2.

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Therefore, to lift the 75 kg weight will require 75 kg ÷ 2 = 37.5 kg.

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Q10. D = 24 turns
EXPLANATION = there are 8 threads per inch. To move the nut 3 inches will

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require 8 × 3 = 24 turns.

Q11. A = 3 rotations

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EXPLANATION = each full turn of cog B will result in 18 teeth ÷ 12 teeth = 1.5
rotations. Two turns of cog B will result in cog A completing 3 rotations.

ID
Q12. B = cogs 1 and 3
EXPLANATION = Cogs 1 and 3 will turn anti-clockwise. Cog 2 is the only cog
which will rotate clockwise.
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se
Q13. D = frictional force
EXPLANATION = in this particular case, frictional force is the force that must
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be overcome in order to slide the object from one side to another.

Q14. B = stays the same

EXPLANATION = the pressure at the surface remains the same, since it has
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a finite amount of water above it.

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Q15. A = A
EXPLANATION = by drawing a vertical line straight down from the centre of
gravity, only the line for HGV A reaches the ground outside of its tyres. This
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makes the HGV unstable.

Q16. D = seesaw
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EXPLANATION = a seesaw is the only option which utilises a form of leverage

to function.
Ho

Q17. B = tube B
EXPLANATION = the force between the water and the glass is greater with
the narrower tube, and therefore the water in tube B will rise higher.
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Q18. D = the volume will reduce by ½

EXPLANATION = pressure x volume = constant figure.

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Q19. C = 15 feet

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EXPLANATION = you would need to lift the rope 15 feet in order to lift the
weight 5 feet. 5 x 3 (supporting ropes) = 15 feet.

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Q20. D = 160 turns
EXPLANATION = Cog X has a total of 20 teeth, whereas cog Y has a total of

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5 teeth. Because cog Y has four times fewer teeth than cog X, it will rotate
four times for every full rotation of cog X.

ID
Q21. A
EXPLANATION = Gate A is the strongest because there are more strengthening
points in the construction of the gate. There are also three supporting hinges
r
as opposed to two on gate B.
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Q22. D = D
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EXPLANATION = only D has a mechanical advantage of 3, as it has three

supporting ropes.

Q23. A
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EXPLANATION = in order to take-off with the shortest runway, the aircraft will
require a head wind.
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Q24. A = wheel A
EXPLANATION = Wheel A is the largest and will therefore rotate the least
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number of times in any given time-frame.

Q25. D = all the same

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EXPLANATION = all three are in the equilibrium state because none of them
are moving.
Ho

Q26. A = 120 rpm/clockwise

EXPLANATION = Cog A will rotate 120 rpm clockwise. In this particular
scenario, each cog has the same number of teeth; therefore, the cogs will
rotate at the same speed.
 Richard McMunn's Aptitude Vault

Q27. C = both the same

EXPLANATION = they will both hit the ground at the same time.

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Q28. C = 30 kg

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EXPLANATION = the distance of the weights from the fulcrum/balance point
is identical; therefore, the weight required to balance the beam should be

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identical.

Q29. A = 10 kg

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EXPLANATION = the distance of the weights from the fulcrum/balance point
is double; therefore, the weight required to balance the beam should be
halved.

ID
Q30. D = 40 kg
EXPLANATION = the distance of the weights from the fulcrum/balance point
r
is halved; therefore, the weight required to balance the beam should be
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doubled.
eU
m
co
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w2
Ho