Engines Quiz – Printable Version
20 multiple-choice questions with an explained answer key, ready to print.
Print the sheet (or save it as a PDF from the print window), hand it out, then mark it together using the answer page: every answer is explained. Perfect for a party, a birthday, a classroom, a care home or a team activity.
Name: ………………………………Score: ……… / 20
- What is the role of the crankshaft?
- A. To create the spark
- B. To filter the oil
- C. To cool the engine
- D. To convert linear motion into rotation
- What is the role of engine oil?
- A. To filter the air
- B. To lubricate the parts
- C. To start the engine
- D. To cool only
- What does 'RPM' stand for?
- A. Rotation Per Minute
- B. Revolutions Per Minute
- C. Resistance Power Multiplier
- D. Rated Power Measurement
- What is the role of the radiator?
- A. To filter the air
- B. To increase power
- C. To store energy
- D. To cool the engine
- Which type of engine powers rockets?
- A. Electric
- B. Chemical reaction
- C. Diesel
- D. Hydraulic
- Which engine is the quietest?
- A. Steam
- B. Petrol
- C. Diesel
- D. Electric
- What does a fuel injector do?
- A. Ignites
- B. Lubricates
- C. Cools
- D. Injects fuel
- Which type of engine is mechanically the simplest?
- A. Petrol
- B. Diesel
- C. Electric
- D. Turbo
- The 'free-piston' engine is distinctive because it has no…
- A. Fuel
- B. Cylinders
- C. Crankshaft
- D. Pistons
- Which type of engine equips nuclear submarines?
- A. Ion engine
- B. Diesel-electric
- C. Hydrogen engine
- D. Nuclear steam turbine
- Which engine works by expanding the coolant fluid itself?
- A. Peltier engine
- B. Inverted Stirling
- C. Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)
- D. Absorption engine
- Which engine exploits the salinity difference between fresh water and sea water?
- A. Diffusion engine
- B. Saline engine
- C. Galvanic engine
- D. Osmotic engine
- The 'Quasiturbine' engine is a rotary engine whose distinctive feature is...
- A. The complete absence of a rotor
- B. Its dependence on hydrogen
- C. The continuous variation of chamber volume
- D. The exclusive use of steam
- What is the unique feature of the Gnome Monosoupape engine used in World War One aircraft?
- A. It had no valves
- B. It had only one valve per cylinder
- C. It had no pistons
- D. It used two fuels
- What advantage did the Napier Deltic engine aim for with its triangular layout?
- A. Absolute silence
- B. Reduced tyre consumption
- C. Very high power density for locomotives and ships
- D. Easy roadside repair
- What is the main advantage of a compressed-air engine in specific industrial environments?
- A. It produces more power than a V8
- B. No sparks (explosion safety) and ease of maintenance
- C. It runs indefinitely without recharging
- D. It needs no moving parts
- Which gas is mainly responsible for the greenhouse effect in thermal engine emissions?
- A. Carbon monoxide (CO)
- B. Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
- C. Fine particles
- D. Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
- What advantage did the ceramic turbine wheel used in some turbochargers (for example on the Toyota Celica GT-Four CT26) offer?
- A. It resisted seawater corrosion better
- B. It made the turbo completely silent
- C. Its reduced mass lowered inertia, allowing the turbo to spin up faster and reducing turbo lag
- D. It allowed the wastegate to be removed entirely
- In gasoline direct injection, what does 'stratified charge' operation mean, as opposed to 'homogeneous charge'?
- A. Fuel is injected in several successive layers of increasing density
- B. Fuel is mixed only with pure oxygen
- C. Fuel is concentrated in a rich zone around the spark plug, surrounded by an overall lean mixture, allowing the engine to run on very little fuel at low load
- D. Fuel is spread evenly throughout the cylinder for a homogeneous mixture at all times
- What does cylinder deactivation on some modern engines consist of?
- A. Certain cylinders temporarily suspend their intake and fuel injection at low load, reducing fuel consumption, before reactivating as soon as power is demanded
- B. The engine physically removes cylinders while driving
- C. The engine completely cuts off oil supply to certain cylinders to save weight
- D. Certain cylinders operate only when the vehicle is stationary
Answer key — Engines Quiz
- D. To convert linear motion into rotationThe crankshaft converts the reciprocating motion of the pistons into rotation.
- B. To lubricate the partsIt reduces friction and wear.
- B. Revolutions Per MinuteIt indicates the rotational speed of the engine.
- D. To cool the engineIt dissipates the heat from the engine.
- B. Chemical reactionRockets use reaction engines with combustion.
- D. ElectricVery little noise compared to others — the majority of others are combustion engines.
- D. Injects fuelIt delivers fuel into the engine.
- C. ElectricVery few moving parts.
- C. CrankshaftThe free-piston engine has no crankshaft: the pistons oscillate freely and directly convert energy into electricity or hydraulic pressure.
- D. Nuclear steam turbineHeat produced by the nuclear reactor vaporizes water, which drives a turbine.
- C. Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)The Organic Rankine Cycle uses an organic fluid with a low boiling point that vaporizes at low temperatures (waste heat, solar), driving a turbine.
- D. Osmotic engineThe osmotic engine (or osmotic energy) exploits the pressure created by the concentration difference between fresh and salt water across a semi-permeable membrane.
- C. The continuous variation of chamber volumeThe Quasiturbine uses an articulated rotor whose geometry changes to carry out the four strokes of the thermal cycle in a single continuous rotation.
- B. It had only one valve per cylinderThe Gnome Monosoupape used a single exhaust valve per cylinder, with intake admitted through ports in the cylinder, simplifying the complex mechanics of rotary engines.
- C. Very high power density for locomotives and shipsThe Napier Deltic was an opposed-piston diesel engine arranged in a triangle, offering incredible power for its size, notably used in British locomotives.
- B. No sparks (explosion safety) and ease of maintenanceCompressed-air engines are ideal in fire-risk areas (refineries, mines) as they generate no electrical sparks and operate without combustion.
- D. Carbon dioxide (CO₂)CO₂ is the main greenhouse gas emitted by the combustion of fossil fuels.
- C. Its reduced mass lowered inertia, allowing the turbo to spin up faster and reducing turbo lagSince ceramic is much lighter than conventional metal alloys, a ceramic turbine wheel greatly reduces the inertia of the rotating assembly, allowing the turbocharger to reach useful rotation speed faster and reducing the turbo…
- C. Fuel is concentrated in a rich zone around the spark plug, surrounded by an overall lean mixture, allowing the engine to run on very little fuel at low loadIn stratified mode, direct injection concentrates a rich mixture zone around the spark plug at the moment of ignition, while the rest of the chamber contains an overall very lean mixture, or even pure air.
- A. Certain cylinders temporarily suspend their intake and fuel injection at low load, reducing fuel consumption, before reactivating as soon as power is demandedWhen the engine is running under low load, for example at a steady motorway speed, some cylinders can have their valves kept closed and fuel injection cut off, with the engine continuing to run on a reduced number of active…