Answers and Explanations

Shop Information Practice Questions

1. A

   Fasteners can be tightened best with longer wrenches. Adding an extension or using an adjustable wrench (Crescent) may also improve tightening ability.

2. C

   A castellated nut uses a cotter pin to lock it into place, which must pass through a hole in the bolt or stud that the nut is threaded on.

3. D

   When large-diameter objects must be gripped or twisted, a technician would use adjustable joint pliers to get the job done. These are adjustable over a large range of sizes, as they have multiple “arc-joints” that the pliers can be set into. The handles are also very long, which gives very good leverage and makes for maximum gripping power. These pliers are also commonly known as water pump pliers or Channellock pliers. Since choice (D) allows for both choices (A) and (C), it is the correct answer.

4. D

   The chuck of an electric drill is the part that holds the drill bit. A chuck is identified by the largest diameter bit that will fit in it. Common chuck sizes include ", ", and ". A " drill bit will fit into a " or " chuck, answer choices (B) and (C), respectively. The correct answer, therefore, to what a " drill bit will fit into is (D).

5. B

   When installing a new hacksaw blade, orient it so the teeth point away from the handle. This makes the hacksaw cut on the forward stroke, so let up on the downward pressure when pulling the hacksaw back.

6. C

   One important measurement of a fastener is the length. The length of the bolt is the distance between the underside of the bolt head and the end of the bolt. Note that the bolt head does not count toward the length of the bolt. Therefore, the best answer is (C).

7. D

   The two basic types of wrenches—the open end and the box end—are both acceptable for loosening a hexagonal bolt. The open-end wrench is easy to slide on and off a fastener. The downside to the open-end wrench is that it only makes contact with two sides of a six-sided (hex) bolt head. The box-end wraps completely around the head of a bolt, and therefore makes greater surface contact. Box-end wrenches normally come in a 12-point configuration, but some are made as 6-point. Used with a ratchet, the correct size socket is ideal for loosening fasteners such as hexagonal bolts. Thus, because all the choices are acceptable, (D) is the best answer.

8. D

   The tool shown is a soldering gun. It is used for soldering electrical connections.

9. C

   If two pieces to be joined by soldering are large, it may pay to tin the surfaces before attempting to join them. Heating the surfaces gently while applying flux to them, and then adding solder once the flux has thoroughly cleaned the material will accomplish this. Since soldering is the process involved, the correct answer is (C).

10. C

    The Robertson screwdriver grips the fastener better than a flat tip screwdriver, so the screw is much easier to remove and install.

11. B

    Whenever you see the words “force” and “wrench” in the same sentence, you should immediately think about torque (B). You can think of torque as twisting motion, which is exactly what allows a fastener to be tightened or loosened. Don’t get torque confused with tension (C), which instead is a pulling force associated with a weight on a string or wire.

12. C

    The box-end wrench is closed, which allows for more surface area contact of the wrench with the fastener, compared to the contact offered by the open-end and adjustable wrenches; therefore, answer choices (A) and (B) are incorrect. Allen wrenches are typically intended for low-torque applications; therefore, answer choice (D) is incorrect.

13. D

    The size of a socket for a given bolt head is determined by the distance between two parallel sides of the bold head.

14. B

    This is a good question to make a prediction if you know what a chisel is, or otherwise eliminate wrong answer choices that describe some other type of tool. Choice (A) describes a tool like a screwdriver or a hammer that can install fasteners, so that is not the correct answer. Choice (C) describes a plane, which is used to smooth or reduce the thickness of a piece of wood by shaving off a layer. Choice (D) describes a saw, so that is not the correct answer either. Choice (B) perfectly describes a chisel, so that is the correct answer.

15. A

    A ball-peen hammer has one main benefit: it generally has a stronger head made of steel. This matches choice (A). Choice (B) more closely describes a mallet, certainly not a steel hammer, and choice (C) describes a benefit of a claw hammer, so that is the opposite of what you’re looking for. Finally, it makes little sense to talk about (D) leverage when discussing striking materials.

16. B

    If a wrench is just slightly too small, you will want to try the next size larger. In this case, is the next size up. This is the wrench you would want to try next, so choice (B) is the correct answer.