NEIEP Mechanics Practice Exam

If a weight of 5000 lbs is placed on a hydraulic plunger with an area of 25 square inches, what is the system pressure?

1. 100 psi

2. 150 psi

3. 200 psi

4. 250 psi

The correct answer is: 200 psi

To find the system pressure, the fundamental relationship between force, area, and pressure needs to be applied. Pressure is defined as force applied per unit area. The formula for calculating pressure is: \[ \text{Pressure} = \frac{\text{Force}}{\text{Area}} \] In this scenario, the weight (force) is 5000 lbs and the area of the hydraulic plunger is 25 square inches. Plugging these values into the formula gives: \[ \text{Pressure} = \frac{5000 \text{ lbs}}{25 \text{ in}^2} = 200 \text{ psi} \] Thus, the calculated pressure in the system is 200 psi, which correlates directly with the force exerted on the hydraulic plunger and the area over which this force is distributed. This demonstrates the practical application of hydraulic principles, as knowing the area and the force allows one to determine the pressure within a hydraulic system effectively.