Image: Wiki Commons via Gearheadgirl
About This Quiz
The internal combustion engine is certainly one of, if not the most important invention in human history.
Just think about it. What would we do without them? Well, perhaps most importantly, we wouldn't have cars, the most significant form of transport in human history.
It is always amazing to think that all those years ago, engineers sat and devised a way to not only build the internal combustion engine but then use it to drive a "horseless carriage." It boggles the mind, really.Â
And soon, the internal combustion engine became more and more powerful. That power allowed it to be put into not only cars but aircraft as well. Incredible.
The engine is a complex thing, filled with many moving parts. And the amazing thing is that each is as important as the other. If one breaks, even the smallest of parts - well that could spell problems! And modern engines are not only mechanical but even have complex onboard computers that help them to run.
So in this quiz, we are going to explore interesting facts about engines and see just how much you know about them. Some questions are a breeze, while others will really test your knowledge!
Good luck!
Wiki Commons via mj-bird
The modern vehicle has this engine to thank for its existence.
Steam engine
Electrical engine
Internal combustion engine
Without the internal combustion engine, cars would not exist today as we know them.
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Wiki Commons via Public Domain
Who invented the internal combustion engine?
Karl Marx
Henry Ford
Nikolaus Otto
It was Nikolaus Otto who invented the internal combustion engine in the late 1800s.
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Wiki Commons via Andrew Feliks
The explosion created by this air/fuel mix burning is called the ______?
Combustion stroke
By compressing the air/fuel mix, the piston helps to create the combustion stroke
Boom stroke
Blast stroke
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How is the air/fuel mixture ignited?
By a lighter
A constant open flame
Spark plugs
Each cylinder in the engine has a spark plug which ignites the air/fuel mixture at the end of the compression stroke.
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Wiki Commons via Sean Steven Philipp
Pistons are connected to the crankshaft with this. What is it called?
Crankshaft pin
All pistons are secured to the crankshaft via a connecting rod.
Connecting rod
Hinge
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The gases formed by the combustion process are expelled from the engine and leave the vehicle through the _____?
Manifold
Tailpipe
The tailpipe is connected to the vehicle through the exhaust system.
Radiator
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NASA via Wikimedia Commons
A piston stroke is a linear motion which is changed into a rotational motion by which car part?
Piston rings
Carburetor
Crankshaft
The crankshaft changes the linear motion of the piston stroke into a rotational one which turns the driveshaft and makes a vehicle move.
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Wiki Commons via Ioeth
Pistons are found moving within a ______?
Cylinder
A piston is found within a cylinder.
Piston sleeve
Crankcase
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Wiki Commons via Lewis Collard
Cylinders within an engine can be arranged in a numbers of ways. The three most common are inline, flat and _____?
X
Y
V
Each arrangement has its own unique pros and cons.
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Wiki Commons via OSX
Cylinders arranged in a single bank is a/an _______ arrangement.
Inline
The most common configuration for the cylinders in an engine is inline.
Straight
V
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The main job of the spark plug within an engine is to?
Provide a spark to ignite the fuel
The sole job of the spark plug is to provide the combustion spark that ignites the air/fuel mix.
Keep oil in the engine from running out
None of the above
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Wiki Commons via blmurch
Within the cylinder, this part moving up and down is crucial to the engine running once started.
Piston
The piston, moving within the cylinder, is what creates the compression of the air/fuel mixture which is then combusted and burns away to provide power
Crankshaft connecting rod
Valve
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Wiki Commons via Exhilaration157
The camshaft in an overhead cam engine is found _______ the valves.
To one side
Above
The name is a giveaway! Overhead cam engines have a camshaft situated above the valves. This is the most common type of layout in engines.
Below
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Wiki Commons via OSX
The ______ and ______ are linked by a timing belt to ensure they keep the valves and pistons in sync.
Piston, Sparkplug
Tailpipe, Connecting rod
Crankshaft, camshaft
A timing belt is crucial to ensure the engine fires correctly by keeping valves and pistons in sync.
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Wiki Commons via Alex Kovach
When the camshaft turns, it does so at what ratio to the crankshaft?
1/32
1/4
For every two turns of the turn of the crankshaft, the camshaft turns half a turn. This is achieved through gearing.
1/64
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Wiki Commons via Gophi
While spark plugs provide the spark to set off the combustion of the air/fuel mix, they need a ______ from the ignition to be able to achieve this.
High-voltage electrical charge
A high-voltage charge, generated by the ignition, is needed at exactly the right time to ensure the spark plug ignites the air/fuel mixture.
Boost pulse
Phase flicker
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Wiki Commons via CEphoto, Uwe Aranas
Air-cooled engines are far lighter than traditional liquid-cooled engines. They do run ______, though.
Hotter
Because no fluid is moving through the engine to cool it down in an air-cooled engine, they do run at higher temperatures.
Longer
Louder
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Wiki Commons via Gearheadgirl
Air circulation through an engine is commonly known as _________?
Vacuuming
Normal aspiration
Most vehicles you will see on the road run normally aspirated engines.
Engine breathing
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Wiki Commons via Hatsukari715
In a turbocharged engine, the air is first ________ before it enters the combustion chamber?
Heated and cooled
Cleaned of dust particles
Pressurized
Pressurizing the air leads to better performance of the engine.
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Wiki Commons via PatriciaWrites
The process of pressurizing the air in a turbocharged engine is known as?
Warping
Vaping
Boosting
The higher the pressure achieved, the greater the boost.
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Wiki Commons via Willdre
When you turn the key in your ignition to start the car, what begins the whole process of combustion?
Starter motor
The starter motor is the what sets up the whole process in action. It cranks the engine over, which in turn sees the engine operate under its own power.
Spark plug spark
Spark plug spark
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What is the job of the fuel system in your vehicle?
Transport fuel from the tank to the engine
The fuel system ensures that the correct amount of fuel is sent from the tank to the engine where it is mixed with air for the combustion process to begin.
Store fuel
None of the above
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Wiki Commons via BerndB
The mixing of fuel and air is processed by which car part?
Carburetor
The carburetor is crucial to the whole process. It needs to mix the right amount of fuel and air, otherwise the engine runs to lean or too rich.
Valves
Connecting rod
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Name two parts that are found in the exhaust system of your car.
Muffler, tailpipe
The tailpipe is at the end of the exhaust system and lets the gases formed by combustion out of the engine while the muffler helps to keep the sound the engine produces muffled.
Muffler, Connecting rod
Tailpipe, Spark plug
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Wiki Commons via Dvortygirl
Your car engine is lubricated by this liquid.
Gas
Oil
As there are so many moving parts within the engine, oil is necessary to keep everything lubricated.
Water
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Wiki Commons via Kim2480
Which part of the exhaust system helps burn leftover fuel and other chemicals?
Tailpipe
Muffler
Catalytic converter
The catalytic converter helps to ensure that the gas emitted by the exhaust system is as clean as possible.
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Wiki Commons via Jack.randle
What part of the engine is necessary to help turn the starter motor and start the car?
Distributor
Hi-tension leads
Battery
A battery is necessary to provide the initial power to turn the starter motor over and begin the ignition process.
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Wiki Commons via Stahlkocher
An engine with six cylinders generates more _____ than one with four cylinders?
Noise
Power
The more cylinders or the bigger the cylinders, the more power an engine can generate.
Fuel
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Wiki Commons via LarryStevens
Why do more or larger cylinders generate more power?
Camshaft spins quicker
Exhaust gases leave the car quicker.
More fuel is burned.
By burning more fuel, an engine generates more power.
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Wiki Commons via Steev Selby
In a turbocharged engine, the air entering the engine is cooled. This is done by a _____?
Fan
Intercooler
Cooler air helps to generate more power.
Icebox
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Wiki Commons via dave_7
Some cars have a dual exhaust system. Why?
It is required by law in some countries.
It sounds louder.
It improves the flow of dirty air from the engine to the tailpipe.
Dual exhaust systems help remove the gases generated by the combustion process and helps to avoid any back pressure.
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Wiki Commons via High Contrast
Diesel engines do not have this part in them.
Cylinder
Spark plug
A diesel engine has no spark plugs, as the air is first compressed before the fuel enters the chamber This compression generates enough heat to attain combustion.
Piston
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Wiki Commons via dez1172
Without this, an internal combustion engine will not run
Fuel
Along with air, an internal combustion engine needs fuel to combust to provide power.
Water
Nitrogen
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Wiki Commons via JD
Out of gasoline and diesel, which generates more torque?
Gasoline
Diesel
Diesel is able to generate more torque, as it has a higher energy potential than gasoline.
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Wiki Commons via Harald Spiegel
Engine knock is a common problem caused by _______?
Bouncing pistons
loose nut
Fuel not being ignited properly
When fuel is not ignited properly, it can cause a problem called engine knocking as the engine does not run as it should.
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Wiki Commons via Mariordo
Gasoline has an octane rating. What is this?
How much horsepower it will provide
How much it can be compressed before igniting
Every engine runs best with the right gas in it. Know which octane rating your engine needs when you fill up with gas.
None of the above
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Wiki Commons via Dennis Bratland
These connect the distributor to the spark plugs.
Rubber bands
Spark lines
Hi-tension leads
Hi-tension leads give the spark plugs the electrical surge they need from the distributor to be able to produce a spark.
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Wiki Commons via Mgiardina09
In modern cars, this ensures the air/fuel mixture is correct in the combustion chamber and that the plugs provide a spark at the correct time.
Engine control module
Essentially the brains of the vehicle, the Engine Control Module is vital in ensuring an engine runs at optimal performance.
Spark plug timer
Air Fuel mixture switch
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Zephyris via Wikimedia Commons
A four-stroke engine fires in what order?
Power, Intake, compression, exhaust
Intake, compression, power, exhaust
Intake brings the air/fuel mix into the combustion chamber, where it is compressed and combusted, providing power, and then the exhaust gases are removed.
Compression, intake, power, exhaust
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Engines work in a particular way, with this movement of the piston letting air and fuel into a combustion chamber. What is that stroke called?
Air entry into chamber stroke
Entrance stroke
Intake stroke
The intake stroke allows both air and fuel into the combustion chamber, where it is burned to provide power for the vehicle.
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You Got:
/40
Wiki Commons via Gearheadgirl