Home

Details
Category: Engineering Trivia

The Coffee Break Quiz - A challenging selection of General Engineering questions and answers -
sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, but you're sure that you did know or that you should know and when you see the answers you know that once upon a time you probably did know !

Challenge your colleagues - can they answer more than you ?

  1. The science of air movement and the way that objects move through or interact with air movement is called Aerodynamics - True or False
  2.  In science and philosophy, a distinct set of concepts or thought patterns such as theories are called a -  a) Paradigm  b) Program   c) Paradox  d) Paragon
  3. The Venturi Effect is the name given to the temperature differential when a fluid flows through a constricted section of pipe – True or False
  4. In mathematics an Abundant Number is a number that is smaller than the sum of its proper divisors - True or False
  5. A Fuse is a sacrificial  overcurrent  protection device whose essential component is a metal wire or strip that melts when too much current flows and thus interrupts the circuit  in which it is connected – True or False
  6. What is the opposite of Concave
  7. What is the strong mineral acid with the molecular formula H2SO4 – a) Nitric Acid  b) Boric Acid  c) Sulphuric Acid  d) Phosphoric Acid  c) Sulphuric Acid
  8. A Dumpy Level is used by Civil Engineers to ensure that the amount of spoil loaded into dump trucks does not spill over the edge of the truck - True or False
  9. Teflon is the brand name of the PTFE fluorocarbon solid which is often used as a non-stick  coating for pans and other cookware – True or False
  10. An instrument for measuring strength of vinegar is called  - a) an Acetimeter  b) an Episcope  c) a Drosometer   d) a Lactometer

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ANSWERS

Details
Category: Engineering Trivia

The Coffee Break Quiz - A challenging selection of General Engineering questions and answers -
sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, but you're sure that you did know or that you should know and when you see the answers you know that once upon a time you probably did know !

Challenge your colleagues - can they answer more than you ?

  1. What name is used to describe the measure of the force amplification achieved by using a tool, mechanical device or machine system – a) Mechanical Advantage b) Force Improver  c) Mechanical Multiplier  d) Gross Motor
  2. Typically used with internal combustion engines, what name is given to a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine which is driven by an engine's exhaust gases to produce improved engine performance – a) Thruster  b) Turbocharger  c) Jet  d) Direct Drive
  3. A Dirigible is a type of “lighter than air” aircraft,  such as an airship and which can navigate through the air under its own power – True or False
  4. In computer terminology, USB stands for Universal Standard BOSS – True or False
  5. A Charter is the Grant of Authority or Rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified.  The word Charter derives from -   a) the Latin word for Paper  b) The Greek word for Authority  c) the French word for Status d) The Chinese word for Force
  6. The diagonal side of a right angle triangle, the side opposite the 90 degree right angle is also called the Hypothesis– True or False
  7. With the wings of an angel and riding a chariot, who is the Greek Goddess of Victory – a) Athena  b) Nike  c) Dionysus  d) Demeter
  8. Sulphuric acid was called "oil of vitriol" by medieval European alchemists because it was prepared by roasting "green vitriol" in an iron retort – True or False
  9. Heptane Rating is the standard measure of the anti knock properties of a motor or aviation fuel – True or False
  10. What is the branch of mathematics which uses mathematical statements to describe relationships and quantities which can vary.  Typically the variable quantities are represented by letters – a) Trigonometry  b) Algebra  c) Analysis  d) Geometry

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ANSWERS

Details
Category: Engineering Trivia

The Coffee Break Quiz - A challenging selection of General Engineering questions and answers -
sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, but you're sure that you did know or that you should know and when you see the answers you know that once upon a time you probably did know !

Challenge your colleagues - can they answer more than you ?

  1. Torsion is defined as “the resistance of a material to breaking under tension” - True or False
  2. The word Parallax is used to describe a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight – True or False
  3. Hipparcos was the name of the satellite launched by the European Space Agency in 1989 which was the first space experiment devoted to precision astronomy - True or False
  4. A pair of identical or mirror-symmetrical telescopes mounted side-by-side and aligned to point accurately in the same direction, allowing the viewer to use both eyes when viewing distant objects is also called – a) Binoculars  b) Monoculars c) Binary Viewers  d) Fresnel Imager
  5. What is the opposite of tensile strength
  6. What is the highly corrosive and toxic acid with the symbol HNO3 – a) Sulphuric Acid  b) Phosphoric Acid  c) Perchloric Acid d) Nitric Acid
  7. Typically used for survey work, a Theodolite is a precision instrument for measuring angles  in the horizontal and vertical planes - True or False
  8. What name is given to a triangle with all sides being of unequal length – a) Isosceles  b) Obtuse  c) Equilateral  d)  Scalene Triangle
  9. The polarity of an Anode is always positive - True or False
  10. A scientist who studies Meteorites in space is a called a Meteorologist  - True or False

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ANSWERS

Details
Category: Engineering Trivia

The Coffee Break Quiz - A challenging selection of General Engineering questions and answers -
sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, but you're sure that you did know or that you should know and when you see the answers you know that once upon a time you probably did know !

Challenge your colleagues - can they answer more than you ?

  1.  In the context of Lean Manufacturing, what is the literal meaning of the Japanese word "KANBAN" – a) Warehouse  b) Signboard  c) Action  d) Tolerance
  2. An instrument called an Udometer or Pluviometer or Ombrometer is more commonly known as a Rain Meter - True or False
  3. The Cementation process is an obsolete technique for making - a) Steel  b) Cement  c) Acid  d)  Hydrogen
  4. What name is given to a block with a hard surface on which another object is struck. Inertia allows the energy of the striking tool to be transferred to the work piece. Typically it is used as a forging  tool and it was a primary tool of Blacksmiths and Metal Workers before welding
  5. 1 horse power equals how many kilowatts
  6. What was Thomas Edisons middle name
  7. What percentage of the power consumed by an incandescent light bulb is emitted as heat, rather than visible light  a) 60%  b) 70%  c) 80%  d) 90%
  8. In Physics and beginning with the letter "R", what name is given to the tendency of a system to oscillate at a greater amplitude at some frequencies  than at others
  9. In electronics a switch may be abbreviated to "SPST" - what does this mean
  10. Who was the Roman Goddess of love and beauty

 - a) Venus  b) Diana  c)  Pellonia  d) Minerva

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ANSWERS

Details
Category: Engineering Trivia

The Coffee Break Quiz - A challenging selection of General Engineering questions and answers -
sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, but you're sure that you did know or that you should know and when you see the answers you know that once upon a time you probably did know !

Challenge your colleagues - can they answer more than you ?

  1. The International Space Station is the largest man made object in space – True or False
  2. Vertigo is the common name for a green pigment formed when copper, brass  or bronze  is weathered and exposed to air or seawater over a period of time. - True or False
  3. Isotopes are variants of atoms of a particular chemical element, which have differing numbers of neutrons – True or False
  4. The Atacama Pathfinder Experiment (APEX) is  - a) a 4 wheel drive track through the Atacama Desert  b) a radio telescope  located in the Atacama desert ,  c) an underground complex of tunnels in the Atacama desert  d) an unmanned weather monitoring airship in the Atacama desert
  5. What is the name of a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh
  6. 100 degrees Fahrenheit equals how many degrees Celsius
  7. The Die Casting process forces molten metal under high pressure into a mould cavity.  The majority of Die Casting are non ferrous metals - True or False
  8. What is the opposite of Compressive Strength
  9. An Arbor is the name given to an axis or shaft supporting a rotating part on a lathe - True or False
  10. A PIR sensor measures infrared light radiating from objects in its field of view.  What does PIR stand for

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ANSWERS

Details
Category: Engineering Trivia

The Coffee Break Quiz - A challenging selection of General Engineering questions and answers -
sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, but you're sure that you did know or that you should know and when you see the answers you know that once upon a time you probably did know !

Challenge your colleagues - can they answer more than you ?

  1. What is name of the white crystalline chemical commonly used as a fertiliser which has the chemical symbol NH4NO3 – a) Ammonium Carbonate b) Ammonium Sulphate  c) Ammonium Chloride d)  Ammonium Nitrate
  2. A thermocouple is a device consisting of two different conductors that produce a voltage  proportional to a temperature difference between either end of the pair of conductors. They are a widely used type of temperature sensor for measurement and control – True or False
  3. 1/16" (one sixteenth of an inch)  = how many mm
  4. Often used in a legal context, what does the Latin word Verbatim actually mean - a) The Opposite Of   b) In The Words Of   c) Words Similar To   d) Word By Word, Exactly
  5. What is the name of the slender, sharply pointed sword which was designed to primarily be a thrusting weapon – a) Rapier  b) Claymore  c) Sabre  d) Scimitar
  6. With origins going back to the ancient Greeks, what is the generic name of a measuring instrument with two legs and a central pivot.  Variants can be designed specifically for internal or external surfaces - a) Arbour b) Bezel  c) Ferrule d) Calliper
  7. In Metalworking, a Scriber is used to create an indent for a Drill Bit, in order to prevent the Bit from “wandering” off the mark when drilling first starts – True or False
  8. Logarithms where first introduced in the 17th century by who - a) Isaac Newton  b) John Napier  c) Robert Boyle  d) Roger Cotes
  9. An Orifice Plate is a device fitted internally in pipes, to measure flow rates or reduce pressure or restrict flow – True or False
  10. Precipitation is the name is given to a method of separating  mixtures  based on differences in volatilities  of components in a boiling liquid mixture
 True or False

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ANSWERS

Details
Category: Engineering Trivia

The Coffee Break Quiz - A challenging selection of General Engineering questions and answers -
sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, but you're sure that you did know or that you should know and when you see the answers you know that once upon a time you probably did know !

Challenge your colleagues - can they answer more than you ?

  1. In Physics – a Qantas is the minimum amount of any physical entity involved in an interaction – True or False
  2. Peanuts are in fact NOT nuts - True or False
  3. 1/32" (one thirty-second of an inch ) = how many mm
  4. A Rhombus is a parallelogram with how many equal sides
  5. Beginning with the letter "V", what is the generic name for a mechanical screw activated tool which is used to hold or clamp a workpiece
  6. What two word name name is given to an industrial process based on and also called lost-wax casting , it is one of the oldest known metal-forming techniques -  a) Inverted Casting  b) Intricate Casting c) Incentive Casting d) Investment Casting
  7. When considering an oscillating system, what name is given to the magnitude of change in the oscillating variable with each oscillation – a) Amplitude b) Swing c) Pulse d) Resonance
  8. In electronics a switch may be abbreviated to "DPST" - what does this mean
  9. Degaussing was commonly used in CRT based TV sets and computer monitors to decrease or eliminate unwanted magnetic field – True or False
  10. The Rockwell scale is a hardness scale based on the ability of a material to withstand shear - True or False

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ANSWERS

Details
Category: Engineering Trivia

The Coffee Break Quiz - A challenging selection of General Engineering questions and answers -
sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, but you're sure that you did know or that you should know and when you see the answers you know that once upon a time you probably did know !

Challenge your colleagues - can they answer more than you ?

  1. In statistics , what name is given to a graphical representation showing a visual impression of the distribution of data. It is an estimate of the probability distribution of a continuous variable and was first introduced by Karl Pearson  -  a) Histogram  b) Bar Chart  c) Pie Chart  d) Candlestick Chart
  2. Rarefaction is the reduction in an items density, the opposite of compression - True or False
  3. What is the currency of India - a) Rupee  b) Won c) Dollar  d)  Dinar
  4. The volume of a cone = 2/3 πr²h – True or False
  5. An Extinction Meter is an early name for what -  a) Sound Meter  b) Temperature Meter  c)  Light Meter  d) Radiation Meter
  6. What name is given to the curve that a hanging chain or cable  assumes under its own weight  when supported only at its ends.- a) Catenary  b) Century  c) Corrobori  d) Chord
  7. What name is given to  an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits  and refracts  light , converging or diverging the beam - a) Iris b) Prism  c) Optic  d) Lens
  8. Who first invented Paper Making - a) Aztecs b) Chinese  c) the Greeks  d) the Indians
  9. What is the sum of the internal angles of a triangle
  10. Beginning with the letter "P", what is the generic name for a short, hard metal rod which is typically struck with a hammer and used to drive nails or pins into or out of workpieces or to form an indent on a workpiece


SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ANSWERS

Details
Category: Engineering Trivia

The Coffee Break Quiz - A challenging selection of General Engineering questions and answers -
sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, but you're sure that you did know or that you should know and when you see the answers you know that once upon a time you probably did know !

Challenge your colleagues - can they answer more than you ?

  1. In Gear terminology, the distance from the bottom of a gear or sprocket to the the Pitch Circle Diameter is called the – a) Addendum  b) Dedendum  c) Apex  d) Face
  2. The Phase Transition of an element or compound from liquid to gas is called – a)Vaporisation b) Distillation  c) Sublimation  d) Condensation
  3. In Electrical Engineering, a switch may be abbreviated to "DPDT" - what does this mean
  4. Based on changing colors, what is one of the oldest forms of pH indicator , used to test liquids for acidity. 
  5. What name is given to an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons , thus giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge 
) ion  b) iron  c)  icon  d) item
  6. What characteristic of a material is measured by the Brinell scale
 -  a) Tensile Strength  b) Compressive Strength  c) Shear Strength d) Hardness
  7. Gravimetric Analysis describes a set of methods in analytical chemistry for the quantitative determination of an analyte based on the mass of a solid - True or False
  8. Can atmospheric gases such as nitrogen and oxygen dissolve in water - yes or no
  9. A “Propellor” is the name given to a rotor which is typically located inside of a tube or pump housing and is used to increase the pressure and/or flow of a liquid – True or False
  10. Rheology is the name given to the ability of liquids to mix in all proportions thus forming a homogeneous  solution
 True or False

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ANSWERS

Details
Category: Engineering Trivia

The Coffee Break Quiz - A challenging selection of General Engineering questions and answers -
sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, but you're sure that you did know or that you should know and when you see the answers you know that once upon a time you probably did know !

Challenge your colleagues - can they answer more than you ?

  1. A “Crucifix” is the name given to a container typically used for metal, glass, or pigment production, which can withstand temperatures high enough to melt or otherwise alter its contents – True or False
  2. The what of a number- is the exponent by which another fixed value, the base , has to be raised to produce that number  a) logarithm  b) root  c) quotient  d) derivative
  3. Beginning with the letter "F", what is the generic name for a metalworking or woodworking hand tool used to cut fine amounts of material from a workpiece
  4. Who was the Roman God of the underworld - a) Neptune   b) Pluto  c) Mars  d) Janus
  5. The volume of a sphere = 4/3πr³  - True or False
  6. What name is given to a circular chart divided into sectors and illustrating proportion of the quantity it represents
  7. GRP is Commonly used for manufacturing boats, automobiles, baths, hot tubs, water tanks etc .  What does GRP stand for
  8. Who first discovered Gunpowder - a) the Chinese b) the Incas  c) the Egyptians  d) the Greeks
  9. Air Cushion Vehicles or ACV’s are more commonly known as “Hovercraft” - True or False
  10. A Microcalorimeter is an instrument used for measuring the energy in food - True or False

SEE NEXT PAGE FOR ANSWERS

  • You are here:  
  • Home