Red Seal Heavy Duty Equipment Technician Practice Exam

Torque applied to an object is typically expressed in which units?

1. Pounds per square inch

2. Foot-pounds or Newton-meters

3. Horsepower ratings

4. Gallons per minute

The correct answer is: Foot-pounds or Newton-meters

Torque is a measurement of rotational force, and it is a critical concept in the field of mechanics, particularly when working with heavy-duty equipment. When torque is applied to an object, it causes that object to rotate around an axis. The standard units used to quantify torque are foot-pounds (ft-lb) in the imperial system and Newton-meters (Nm) in the metric system. Both of these units accurately reflect the magnitude of the force applied at a certain distance from the pivot point or center of rotation. Foot-pounds are commonly used in the United States, where it measures how much rotational force is applied, for instance, when using a wrench to tighten a bolt. On the other hand, Newton-meters are part of the International System of Units (SI) and are widely used in other parts of the world. The choice of which unit to use often depends on the context and region in which the technician is operating. The other options provided do not relate to torque: Pounds per square inch measures pressure, not rotational force. Horsepower ratings describe power and are not a direct measure of torque itself, while gallons per minute is a flow rate measurement typically used in fluid dynamics and does not apply to torque. Understanding the proper units