Physics for Aviation Oral Exam Questions and Answers
Practice connecting a physical principle to what an aircraft system does. This set follows General subject AM.I.J, Physics for Aviation, with questions about force, motion, heat, pressure, and fluid flow.
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What should my answer explain?
For each answer, name the quantity or principle first, then explain what changes and what stays constant. Write the units beside each number before doing a calculation.
Try the pressure and gas-law questions together. Say whether the pressure is gauge, absolute, or differential before choosing a formula.
FAA-S-ACS-1, p. 16, AM.I.J
Use these prompts alongside the ACS codes on your Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR). Rehearse an answer before opening the cited source to check it.
Which ACS elements do these questions practice?
The table identifies the elements used below. It is not a prediction of your assigned questions.
| ACS element | Study focus |
|---|---|
| AM.I.J.K1 | Matter and energy. |
| AM.I.J.K2 | Work, power, force, and motion. |
| AM.I.J.K3 | Simple machines and mechanics. |
| AM.I.J.K6 | Newton’s Law of Motion. |
| AM.I.J.K4 | Heat and pressure. |
| AM.I.J.K7 | Gas law and fluid mechanics. |
| AM.I.J.K5 | Bernoulli’s Principle. |
Which oral exam questions can I practice?
These practice questions are built from ACS elements; they are not actual FAA test questions. The short explanations are study answers, not complete aircraft maintenance procedures.
1. How do mass and weight differ?
ACS: AM.I.J.K1
Mass is a measure of the quantity of matter in an object. Weight is a measure of the pull from gravity acting on the mass of an object. The relationship is weight equals mass times gravity. Mass does not change regardless of where you take the object, but weight depends on the pull of gravity acting on that mass.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-1
2. If you push on an aircraft and it does not move, have you done mechanical work?
ACS: AM.I.J.K2
No. Work, in the mechanical sense of the term, is done when a resistance is overcome by force acting through a measurable distance. Both force and movement through a distance are involved. Work equals force times distance.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-4
3. Why does lifting the same load faster require more power?
ACS: AM.I.J.K2
The work is the same, but it is done in a shorter period of time, and that takes more power. Power equals force times distance divided by time. One horsepower equals 550 foot-pounds per second or 33,000 foot-pounds per minute; use the conversion that matches the time units.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-6
4. Can a stationary bolt have torque applied to it?
ACS: AM.I.J.K2
Yes. Torque can exist even if the bolt does not move. In the handbook's wrench example, a 10-pound force applied along a 10-inch wrench produces 100 pound-inches of torque. The distance is the distance along which the force is applied, rather than the distance an object moves. With torque nothing has to move, because the force is applied along a distance, not through a distance.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-7
5. What are the three basic parts of a lever?
ACS: AM.I.J.K3
The three basic parts are the fulcrum, the force or effort, and the resistance. The lever arms are the distances from the fulcrum to the effort and resistance. A force acting along a lever arm creates torque that tries to cause rotation.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-8
6. How does Newton's third law apply to a propeller?
ACS: AM.I.J.K6
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. When a propeller pushes a stream of air backward, the air pushes the blades forward with an equal force. That forward force causes the aircraft to move forward.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-17
7. How do conduction, convection, and radiation transfer heat?
ACS: AM.I.J.K4
Conduction transfers heat through physical contact. Convection is the process by which heat is transferred by movement of a heated fluid (gas or liquid). Radiation can transfer heat across space without the medium required for conduction or convection.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-19 · FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-20
8. How are gauge, absolute, and differential pressure different?
ACS: AM.I.J.K4
Gauge pressure is pressure above ambient. Absolute pressure is equal to gauge pressure plus atmospheric pressure. Differential pressure, or psid, is the difference between pressures being read at two different locations within a system. A manifold-pressure gauge measures absolute pressure because manifold pressure on a piston engine can read less than atmospheric pressure if the engine is not supercharged, or more than atmospheric if it is supercharged, and only an absolute pressure gauge can show that range.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-23
9. What happens to an enclosed dry gas when its absolute pressure doubles at constant temperature?
ACS: AM.I.J.K7
The volume falls to half its former value. Boyle's law says the volume of an enclosed dry gas varies inversely with its absolute pressure, provided the temperature remains constant. The calculation is V1P1 = V2P2, with pressure in absolute units.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-24
10. What happens to velocity and static pressure in the narrow part of a venturi?
ACS: AM.I.J.K5
The fluid moves faster and has lower static pressure in the narrow section. Bernoulli's principle states that the static pressure of a fluid, liquid or gas, decreases at points where the velocity of the fluid increases, provided no energy is added to nor taken away from the fluid. A float-type carburetor uses this: air flowing to the engine goes through a venturi where the static pressure is reduced, and fuel under higher pressure flows into that lower-pressure area and mixes with the air.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-30
How do I answer it out loud?
Explain the stationary-aircraft example, then compare it with the stationary-bolt example. Next, say the condition that remains constant in Boyle's law and the energy condition in Bernoulli's principle. Repeat the horsepower conversions with the time unit spoken aloud.
How should I check my practice answer?
After speaking, compare your explanation with the answer and the cited FAA page. Check the reason, the conditions, and any limitation stated in the source. Repeat the question without looking until you can give a connected spoken answer.
Use references during study, then close them for the spoken rehearsal. The ACS states that reference material is not allowed for answering oral questions.
What else should I know?
Does pushing without movement count as mechanical work?
No. In the handbook example, two men push against a small aircraft stuck in the snow, but it does not move, so by the technical definition no work has been done. Work is accomplished only when an object is displaced some distance against a resistive force.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-4
How many foot-pounds per minute equal one horsepower?
One horsepower equals 33,000 foot-pounds per minute, which is the same as 550 foot-pounds per second. To convert power to horsepower, divide the power by the conversion that matches the units you are using.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-6
Does a zero gauge-pressure reading mean zero absolute pressure?
No. Gauge pressure is pressure over and above ambient, so an oil, fuel, or hydraulic pressure gauge reads zero when the pump is not turning and no pressure is being created. Absolute pressure is gauge pressure plus atmospheric pressure, so a psia instrument on an engine oil system would read atmospheric pressure when the engine was not running.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-23
Can I use gauge pressure directly in Boyle's law?
No. Boyle's law relates volume to absolute pressure, and the handbook reminds you that pressure needs to be in the absolute for the V1P1 = V2P2 calculation. Absolute pressure is gauge pressure plus atmospheric pressure, so convert a gauge reading before you calculate.
FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-24 · FAA-H-8083-30B, General, p. 5-23
How can I rehearse the spoken answer?
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Which sources support these answers?
References show the printed pages. Links open the corresponding PDF pages.
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