Q 01/05

How many classical simple machines were defined by Renaissance scientists?

A) Four

B) Five

C) Six

D) Eight

Answer · why

C) Six

Six: lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge and screw make up the classical list, and all multiply force by trading it against distance.

Q 02/05

What is the fixed pivot point of a lever called?

A) Axle

B) Cam

C) Trunnion

D) Fulcrum

Answer · why

D) Fulcrum

Levers come in three classes depending on where fulcrum, load and effort sit.

Q 03/05

The word 'lever' ultimately comes from a Latin adjective meaning what?

A) Long

B) Strong

C) Light

D) Straight

Answer · why

C) Light

Light: 'lever' comes from Latin levare, 'to raise', built on the adjective levis, 'light', which also gave English 'levity' and 'alleviate'.

Q 04/05

The earliest evidence of pulleys comes from Mesopotamia and which other civilisation, around 1900 BC?

A) Egypt

B) China

C) Greece

D) Persia

Answer · why

A) Egypt

Egypt: pulley evidence dates to the Twelfth Dynasty (about 1991-1802 BC), alongside Mesopotamia's early second millennium BC; the Greek Archytas of Ta...

Q 05/05

A screw converts rotation into what kind of movement?

A) Oscillating

B) Orbital

C) Intermittent

D) Linear

Answer · why

D) Linear

Linear: turning a screw advances it along its axis by one thread pitch per revolution, and the smaller the pitch, the greater the mechanical advantage...