Overview

The is the practice FE Exam based for Mechanical Engineering.

This test is available for download for free. No obligation required.

Topics:

A step-by-step solution set is sold here ($7.99).
The answer key is here (Free). Clicking on an answer choice also takes you to the answer key.


##Q 001
alt figure

Which of the following program flowchart symbols is typically used to indicate a processing step in a program?

  • [A] Diamond
  • [B] Rectangle with points
  • [C] Rectangle with a radius
  • [D] Circle

##Q 002

The cells in a computer spreadsheet program are:
alt figure

A portion of the spreadsheet is shown. The value of cell D1 is set to (B1 + C1)/2. The formula is copied to the range of cells D2:D3. The value of D4 is set to SUM(D1:D3) +4. The number in cell D4 is:


##Q 003

A wheel with a 0.75 m radius has a mass of 200 kg. The wheel is pinned at its center and has a radius of gyration of 0.25 m.

A rope is wrapped around the wheel and supports a hanging 100 kg block. When the wheel is released, the rope beings to unwind. What is the angular acceleration of the wheel in rad/sec^2?


##Q 004

A 60 kg box slides 8 m as it goes down an incline of 22 degree . The box is pushed down the incline with an initial velocity of 5 m/s. If the coefficient of friction is 0.35, the velocity in m/s at the bottom of the incline most nearly is.


##Q 005

A cricket player throws the ball in a projectile at an angle of 25 degree above horizontal with an initial velocity of 95 km/h. If his hand is 1m above the ground, the distance in meters the ball will travel before it hits the ground most nearly is.


##Q 006

A particle is traveling in a straight line where the equation of motion as a function of time is:

x(t) = 5*t^3 + 3*t^2 - 4*t

where:

  • x is in meters
  • t is in seconds

The acceleration of the particle in m/sec^2 at t = 10.5 seconds is most nearly:


##Q 007

alt figure

The rigid link shown is 11 m long. It rotates counterclockwise about point A at 15 rpm. A thin disk with a radius of 2.5 m is pinned at its center at the to the link at point B. The disk rotates counterclockwise at 75 rpm with respect to B.

What is the maximum tangential velocity seen by any point on the disk in m/sec?


##Q 008

A 2 kg clump of clay moving at 60 m/sec collides with another 10 kg of clay moving at 10 m/sec. They are traveling in parallel but opposite directions. What is the final velocity if both balls stick together in m/sec?


##Q 009

The electrical resistance of a wire is:

  • [A] inversely proportional to the square of the radius of the wire.
  • [B] inversely proportional to the resistivity of the wire material
  • [C] proportional to the cube of the length of the wire.
  • [D] inversely proportional to the circumference of the wire.

##Q 010

alt figure

Shown is a circuit connected to a voltage source of 36 V. At steady state, the voltage across the capacitor most nearly is


##Q 011

Sally Sanders, a diligent girl, age eleven, invests in a savings account that provides and interest rate of 3% per year. If she has $5000 in the account at the end of 6 years, the initial money invested is most nearly:


##Q 012

A payday loan company, seeking to boost its return on equity, decided to charge its customers 6% per month. If the interest is compounded monthly, effective annual interest rate is most nearly:


##Q 013

A former classmate of yours applies to the current company you work for out of pure coincidence. Asking to weigh in on this candidate, you notice that the extracurricular accomplishments noted on her resume are exaggerated.

However, you also genuinely feel this student is intelligent and will be an asset to the company. How should you handle this situation?

  • [A] You should point out the inconsistencies on the resume and advise against hiring her.
  • [B] You should recommend the applicant but note your reservations regarding the exaggerations.
  • [C] You should follow your instincts and recommend the applicant. No need to make a mountain out of a mole hill.
  • [D] You should remove yourself from the ethical dilemma and state ignorance regarding the candidate.

##Q 014

A licensed professional structural engineer, working for Acme Engineering, approves the plans for an overhead walkway, made of aluminum, in the lobby of a hotel. During construction, the installers working for a construction firm do not correctly follow the installation plan despite the sign off (approval) of Acme Engineering and the walkway collapses.

Investigations reveal this was due to an incorrect installation. Who is the primary party held liable for the accident?

  • [A] Alcoa, who fabricated the aluminum supports
  • [B] Construction Company
  • [C] Acme Engineering
  • [D] County Building Inspectors

##Q 015

A special engineering vessel is connected to a reservoir open to the atmosphere. The connecting valve is closed and a vacuum of 60 kPa is applied to the vessel.

The absolute pressure in the vessel is most nearly:


##Q 016

alt figure

A mysterious liquid with a specific gravity of 0.7 is stored in a pressurized, closed storage tank. The tank is cylindrical with a 10 m diameter.

The absolute pressure in the tank is 100 kPa. What is the initial velocity (in m/s) of a fluid jet when a 5 cm diameter orifice is opened at point A where h_A = 0.5 m and h_B = 7 m?


##Q 017

alt figure

Consider the manometer shown. The dark silver fluid is mercury (density = 13.0 gm / cm^3) and the light blue fluid is water (density = 1 gm / cm^3). The pressure differential (P1 - P2) in kPa is most nearly:


##Q 018

alt figure

A 60 cm diameter mysterious solid sphere (ρ = 7563 kg / m^3) is suspended by a string as shown.

Half the sphere is in one fluid (ρ = 1150 kg / m^3) and the other half in another fluid (ρ = 2050 kg / m^3) The tension in the cable in N is:


##Q 019

Water flows with a velocity of 4 m/s in a pipe with an inner diameter of 7 cm. The flow is split into 2 pipes, each having an inner diameter of 3 cm. The velocity in the 3 cm pipes (in m/s) is.


##Q 020

A pump requires 95 kW to move water solution with a specific gravity of 1.1 at a certain flow rate to a given elevation. What power does the pump require if the flow rate and elevation conditions are the same, but the fluid pumped has a specific gravity of 0.8?


##Q 021

In 30 min how much black-body radiation escapes a 2 cm by 2 cm rectangular opening in a kiln whose internal temperature is 780 °C?


##Q 022

Hot air, typical of some people but present in all HVAC systems, flows through a 10 m long tube with an inside diameter of 25 mm. It is 100 °C. The temperature of the tube is 10 °C along its entire length.

The convective film coefficient is 25.1 W / m^2 ∙ K. Determine the rate of convective heat transfer from the air to the tube.


##Q 023

A composite wall, composed of 1.5 cm of steel (k = 60 W / m ∙ K) and 5.0 cm of copper (k = 200 W / m ∙ K) separates two bodies of liquid.

The liquid on the steel side has a film coefficient of 15 W / m^2 ∙ K and a temperature of 400 °C.

The liquid on the copper side has a film coefficient of 32 W / m^2 ∙ K and a temperature of 50 °C.

Assuming steady state conditions, what is the conductive heat transfer per unit area of the wall?

  • [A] 4000 W / m^2
  • [B] 3570 W / m^2
  • [C] 2970 W / m^2
  • [D] 2000 W / m^2

##Q 024

A 3 m by 3 m plate at 900 °C is suspended vertically in a very large auditorium. The plate has an emissivity of 0.13. The room is at 20 °C. What is the net heat transfer from the plate?


##Q 025

An aluminum coil with a coefficient of heat transfer of k = 200 W / m ∙ K is operating at stead state. It receives steam at 300 kg per min with an enthalpy of 2900 kJ / kg.

If the steam leaves with an enthalpy of 1000 kJ / kg, what is the rate of heat transfer from the coil?

  • [A] 300 kJ / min
  • [B] 470 kJ / min
  • [C] 570 kJ / min
  • [D] 800 kJ / min

##Q 026

A home based consumer-grade distiller evaporates 1 L or water per hour. Stainless steel tubing exposed to the air serves as a condenser to recover the steam. The outside surface of the tubing is at 99.9 °C.

The ambient temperature is 20 °C. The inside diameter of the tube is 1.2 cm and the outside diameter is 1.5 cm. The thermal conductivity of stainless steel is 425 W / m ∙ K.

h_fg for saturated steam at 100 degree C is 2257 kJ / kg. How long must the tube be to condense all the steam?


##Q 027

What is the base-10 equivalent of the binary number (1101110)?


##Q 028 (t)

The cells in a spreadsheet program are:

alt figure

Instructions in macro-commands are scanned left to right. What is the value of n in the following command sequence?

m = 3
p = m * 2 +7
n = C2 + B2 + m + p

##Q 029

alt figure

A Wheatsone bridge is used to measure a mystery resistance, Rx, as shown. At the null point, the variable resistor, Rv, has a resistance of 2100 ohms. What is the mystery resistance if R3 is 2780 ohms and R4 is 1750 ohms?


##Q 030

Given A = true, B = true, and C = false.

Evaluate the following expression:

(A.AND.B).OR.(NOT.(C.OR.A))
  • [A] true
  • [B] false
  • [C] either true or false
  • [D] neither true nor false

##Q 031

In general and in most materials, crystallization causes

  • [A] light emission
  • [B] cold fusion
  • [C] reduction of volume
  • [D] all of the above

##Q 032

Engineering normal stress assuming a tensile load is:

  • [A] always lower than the true stress
  • [B] always higher than the true stress
  • [C] the same as the true stress in all deformation regimes
  • [D] all of the above

##Q 033

Given the following processes, which can increase the deformation resistance of steel?

A) hot working
B) tempering
C) hardening
D) adding alloying elements
  • [A] All of the above
  • [B] B) and C)
  • [C] A) and D)
  • [D] C) and D)

##Q 034

An epoxy matrix is reinforced with 70% glass fibers by volume. Given the elastic moduli of the glass and epoxy as 99 GPa and 7.8 GPa, respectively, and the specific gravity of glass and epoxy is 2.5 and 1.2, respectively, the elastic moduli in GPa of the composite in the direction of the glass fibers is most nearly.


##Q 035

When plastically deformed, strain hardening causes metals to become:


##Q 036

What is the rectangular form of the following polar equation?

r^2 = 5 - tan^2 (θ)
  • [A] x^4 - x^2 + x^2 ∙ y^2 + y^2 = 0
  • [B] x^4 + x^2 ∙ y^2 - 5 x^2 + y^2 = 0
  • [C] x^2 + x^2 ∙ y^2 - y^2 + y^4
  • [D] -x^2 + x^4 ∙ y^2 + y^2 = 0

##Q 037

A descending snowball from the summit of K2 is rolling downhill. It's radius is increasing at the rate of 20 cm/min. How fast is its volume increasing (in m^3) when its diameter is 3 m?


##Q 038

For the three vectors shown, what is the product A ∙ (B x C)?

A = 3i + 8j + 10k
B = 1i + 2j + 3k
C = 7i + 2j + 5k

##Q 039

The length of the curve y = x^2 from x = 0 to 3 is most nearly:


##Q 040

A 100 kg axial load is uniformly carried by an aluminum pipe with an outside diameter of 10 cm and an inside diameter of 9.6 cm. The pipe is 2.2 m long. Young's modulus for aluminum is 9 x 10^4 MPa. How much is the pipe compressed if you neglect buckling?


##Q 041

A 1 kg disk with a diameter of 10 cm and a width of 2 cm is placed on the precipice of a ramp 3 m high. The ramp is inclined 14 degrees from horizontal.

The disk rolls down the ramp and compresses a spring located at the bottom. The spring rate is 2000 N / m. The disk comes to a complete stop. What is the maximum compression of the spring?


##Q 042

The Darcy friction factor for both of the pipes shown is 0.035.

alt figure

The total flow rate is 500 m^3 per hour. The flow rate in m^3 / second in the 150 mm pipe is most nearly:


##Q 043

alt figure

A block with a mass of 350 kg is pulled over a horizontal surface by a cable guided by a fixed sheave as shown in the figure. The coefficients of friction between the block is 0.48 and the sheave is 0.60 with respect to the cable.

What is the minimum force F that needs to be applied in order to move the block?


##Q 044

alt figure

The nut on a bolt is tightened to 55 N∙m torque. 23% of this torque is used to overcome screw thread friction. The bolts have a nominal diameter of 10 mm. The threads are a simple square cut with a pitch angle of 15 °.

Assuming the coefficient of friction in the threads is 0.10, what is the approximate force in each bolt?


##Q 045

A cylindrical tank is 4.5 m in diameter, 5 m high, and is filled with a special solution that has a density of 900 kg / m^3. The thickness of the tank is 13.5 mm. What is the hoop stress at a point .35 m from the bottom, neglecting the weight of the tank itself?


##Q 046 (t)

Samples of titanium alloy are being tested for their mechanical stiffness. The following frequency distribution was obtained, which is assumed to be normal:

alt figure

Which is the approximate mean of the population from which the samples were taken?


##Q 047 (t)

Samples of titanium alloy are being tested for their mechanical stiffness. The following frequency distribution was obtained, which is assumed to be normal:

alt figure

Which is the approximate standard deviation of the population from which the samples were taken?


##Q 048 (t)

Samples of titanium alloy are being tested for their mechanical stiffness. The following frequency distribution was obtained, which is assumed to be normal:

alt figure

What is the approximate probability that the stiffness would be less than 2433 for any given sample?


##Q 049 (f)

alt figure

A steel beam is loaded as shown with a linearly distributed load. The beam is 4m long and its cross sectional shape is 0.3 m square. Young’s modulus of the beam is 210 GPa, and Poisson’s ratio is 0.3. The reaction at point A in N is most nearly.


##Q 050

alt figure

The x and y coordinates of the centroid of the area given is most nearly.

  • [A] (3.098, 2.549)
  • [B] (5.933,2.053)
  • [C] (3.078,2.627)
  • [D] (5.933,2.627)

##Q 051

alt figure

Which of the following is not a right-handed coordinate system


##Q 052

alt figure

The composite member ABC made of aluminum (AB) and steel (BC) sections is shown. A 500 N is applied at B. Given:

E_aluminum = 40 GPa
E_steel = 300 GPa
area_aluminum = 5 cm^2
area_steel = 3 cm^2

The internal force in N in the composite member ABC just to the right of point B is most nearly:


##Q 053

alt figure

The magnitude of the internal shear force in lbf at point C is most nearly.


##Q 054

alt figure

The braced frame shown is constructed with pinned joints and supports. All applied forces are in the horizontal direction. What is the force in diagonal member AB? Use the following parameters:

Lh = 15 m
Lx = 20 m
Fs = 100 N
Fz = 200 N

##Q 055

A hollow aluminum tube (E = 50 GPa, v = 0.3) with circular cross-section is twisted by a torque of 100 N ∙ m. The tube has an outer radius of 32 mm and an inner radius of 16 mm, and is 500 mm long. The maximum shear stress in MPa in the tube most nearly is.


##Q 056

alt figure

Using the plane element shown, what is the approximate normal stress on a plane inclined at 60 degree from the horizontal?


##Q 057

One end of a hollow metallic shaft is fixed and the other end is connected to a gear with an outside diameter of 60 cm. The gear is subjected to a tangential force of 45 kN. The outside diameter is 12 cm and the thickness is 1.25 cm. The length from the gear to the fixed end is 120 cm.

The shear modulus of the metal is 2.8 x 10^10 Pa. What is the maximum angle of twist and shear stress in the shaft?

  • [A] .024 rad, 36 MPa
  • [B] .055 rad, 49 MPa
  • [C] .035 rad, 49 MPa
  • [D] .035 rad, 247 MPa

##Q 058

Knowing that a continuous steel railroad track, with a coefficient of thermal expansion of 15 x 10^-6 m/m/°C, and Young’s modulus of 220 GPa, was placed on and secured to railroad ties in the winter when the temperature was -20 °C. The stress in MPa in the rail when the temperature reaches 90 °C in the hot sun during summer most nearly is.

  • [A] 200 (tension)
  • [B] 200 (compression)
  • [C] 240 (compression)
  • [D] 360 (compression)

##Q 059

A real rectangular bar supports an axial point compressive load of 70.2 kN. Both ends are fixed. If the modulus of elasticity is 130 GPa and the cross section has a height of 22 mm by 30 mm, what is the maximum permissible length of the bar can be prior to buckling failure?


##Q 060

A 3-meter diameter steel cylindrical tank used to store propane at high pressure. If the allowable stress of steel is 200 MPa and the propane is stored at a pressure of 1000 kPa, the minimum thickness in mm of the tank most nearly is:


##Q 061

The specific heat of graphite over a temperature range of 200K to 800K is given by:

C = .05749*T^2 - 20*T + 5372

where C is given in J / kg ∙ K and temperature T is given in K. The amount of heat required in Joules to raise the temperature of 5 grams of graphite in an inert atmosphere from 300 K to 600K most nearly is.


##Q 062

Sally the lab lead is tasked with determining the enthalpy of HFC-134a at 0.4 MPa and 65% quality. What is it in kJ / kg?


##Q 063

Ronaldo is analyzing the suitability of a certain pump model. The application requires that it compress water at 3 MPa and 50 °C to 15 MPa at a rate of 30 kJ /kg. The efficiency of this pump is:


##Q 064

Air is compressed isentropically such that its pressure is increased by 50%. The initial temperature is 70 °C. What is the final temperature?


##Q 065

Two Carnot engines operate in series in a very large ocean liner. The heat rejected from one is the input to the other.

The heat transferred from the high temperature reservoir is 500 kJ. If the overall temperature limits are 2000K and 300K and both engines produce equal work, the intermediate temperature between the two engines is:


##Q 066

In all adiabatic processes, there is

  • [A] no change in enthalpy
  • [B] no change in temperature
  • [C] no heat flow
  • [D] all of the above

##Q 067

A Carnot refrigerating system receives heat from a cold reservoir at 0 °C. The power input is 1020 W per ton of refrigeration. The systems coefficient of performance is:


##Q 068

A Carnot cycle refrigerator operates between -56 °C and 67 °C. What is the coefficient of performance?


##Q 069

A reversible thermodynamic system is made to follow the Carnot cycle between the temperature limits of 400 °C and 75 °C.

800 kW of heat is supplied per cycle to the system. What is the change in entropy during the heat addition?

  • [A] 1.19 kW / K
  • [B] 2.56 kW / K
  • [C] 3.14 kW / K
  • [D] 4.0 kW / K

##Q 070

Air at 35 °C and 50% relative humidity is cooled in a sensible cooling process to 18 °C. The air is then heated to 45 °C in a sensible heating process. Finally, the air experiences an adiabatic saturation process that increases the relative humidity back to 20%.

The specific energy that was removed when the air was cooled to 18 °C is:

  • [A] 20 kJ / kg
  • [B] 45 kJ / kg
  • [C] 55 kJ / kg
  • [D] 61 kJ / kg