Mathematics and Engineering Trivia Examination Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic engineering trivia, mathematics definitions, engineering economics terminology, and physics laws based on the provided examination.

Standard acceleration due to gravity (English unit)

The value of $32.2\,\text{fps}^2$ used in standard engineering calculations.

Point of inflection

A point where the concavity of a curve changes or when the slope of the curve is neither increasing nor decreasing.

Displacement

A change in position, specified by a length and a direction.

Diffusion

The process of one substance mixing with another because of molecular motion.

Increment cost

Cost that arises at the result of a change in operations or policy; it is the ratio of a small increment cost and a small increment of output.

Promotion cost

The sum of all the costs incurred by the originators of a project up to the time that the promoters of the project accept the project.

Acid test ratio

Also known as the Quick ratio, it is the ratio of current assets (exclusive of inventory) to the total current liabilities.

Voltage

The energy required to move $1\,\text{Coulomb}$ of charge through an element.

Fibonacci number

A number sequence where the succeeding term is obtained by adding the last pair of preceding terms, such as ($1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, \dots$).

Trivial solutions

Classification of solutions for an equation where the roots are zero.

Current

In electricity, this is the rate of charge flow.

Kirchhoff’s current law

The law stating that the algebraic sum of currents entering a node (or a closed boundary) is zero.

Kirchhoff’s voltage law

The law stating that the algebraic sum of all voltages around a closed path (or loop) is zero.

Siemens

The S.I. unit of conductance.

Factoring

The process of expressing a polynomial as the product of another polynomial or monomial of lower degree.

Transverse axis

The axis of the hyperbola that passes through the center, the foci, and vertices.

Irrational number

A number which could not be expressed as a quotient of two integers.

Scalene

A triangle having three unequal sides.

Abscissa

The distance of a point from the y-axis.

Mode

The measure of central tendency defined as the most frequent score.

Mil

A unit of measurement equivalent to one-thousandth of an inch.

Decagon

A polygon with ten sides.

Duodecimal

Any number expressed in place-value notation with base $12$.

Economic order quantity (EOQ)

The order quantity which minimizes the inventory cost per unit time.

Work-in-process

An item classified as an asset in accounting.

Capital gain

An increase in the value of a capital asset.

Differential coefficient

Another name for the derivative.

Diamond

Another term for a rhombus.

Dodecagon

A polygon with twelve sides.

Deka

A prefix denoting a multiple of ten times any of the physical units of the system international.

Euclid

The historical figure known as the father of plane geometry.

Ambiguous case

The case of a solution of a plane triangle where the given data leads to two different solutions.

Convex polygon

A polygon in which each interior angle is less than or equal to $180^{\circ}$ and all vertices point outwards away from the interior.

Deferred annuity

A series of equal payments occurring at equal intervals of time where the first payment is made after several periods have passed.

Collective bargaining

The negotiation of wage rates and conditions of employment by representatives of the labor force and management.

Registered bond

A type of bond where the corporation owner's name is recorded and the interest is paid periodically to the owners without them asking for it.

Logarithm

The integral of any quotient whose numerator is the differential of the denominator.

Stirling’s Approximation

The formula used to compute the value of $n$ factorial ($n!$) when $n$ is a large number.

Dihedral angle

The amount of divergence between two intersecting planes, expressed by measurement.

Break even point

The output or sales level at which income is equivalent to operating cost.

Salvage value

An estimate of an asset's net market value at the end of its estimated life.

Depletion

The lessening of the value of an asset due to a decrease in the quantity available, such as coal, oil, and timber.

Escalatory clause

A provision in a contract that indicates possible adjustments for material and labor costs.

Appraisal

The process of determining the value of certain property for specific reasons.

Consumer goods and services

Products or services directly used by people to satisfy their wants.

Producer goods and services

Products or services used to produce other consumer goods and services.

Necessity products and services

Items required to support human life that are purchased in nearly the same quantity regardless of price variations.

Cylindroid

A cylinder with an elliptical cross section.

Monopsony

A market condition where there is only one buyer for an item which has no good substitutes.

Tesla

The standard unit of magnetic induction.

Pole pitch

The space on the stator of an electrical machine allocated to one pole.

Myriagon

A polygon with $10\,000$ sides.

Cevian

Any line segment joining a vertex of a triangle to a point on the opposite side.

Force

Any influence capable of producing a change in the motion of an object.

Initial working capital

The amount needed at the beginning of operations to permit an enterprise to function before receiving income from sales.

Translation of axes

Writing the equation of a curve with respect to new axes that are parallel to the original axes and similarly directed.

Torus

A ring-shaped surface or solid obtained by rotating a circle about a coplanar line that does not intersect it.

Solid geometry

The study of the properties of figures of three dimensions.

Coplanar

A term describing points that lie in the same plane.

Momentum

The product of an object's mass ($m$) and its velocity ($V$); force is the rate of its change with respect to time.

Dividend

The portion of company profits distributed to ordinary shareholders by the board of directors.

Catenary

The curve produced when a homogeneous, flexible cord is held at two ends and allowed to sag freely under its own weight.

Commonwealth Act 294

Known as the oldest Mechanical Engineering law.

Axis of the parabola

The line passing through the focus and perpendicular to the directrix of a parabola.

Eccentricity

The ratio of the distance between the foci to the distance between the vertices in a hyperbola or ellipse.

Inequality

A mathematical statement that one expression is greater than or less than another.

Sinking fund method

A depreciation method where fixed sums are regularly deposited at compound interest to accumulate the total depreciation of an asset.

Effective rate

The actual rate of interest on the principal calculated for one year.

Helix

A curve generated by a point moving in uniform circular motion about an axis while traveling with constant speed parallel to that axis.

Event

The possible outcome of an experiment.

Divergent series

A sequence of numbers where the succeeding term is greater than the preceding term.

Algebra

A branch of mathematics using symbols or letters to represent numbers in arithmetic operations and equations.

Algorithm

A series of sequential methods for carrying out a procedure to solve a problem.

Angstrom

A unit of length equal to $10^{-10}\,\text{m}$, used for wavelengths of light or ultraviolet radiation.

Asymptote

A straight line which a curve approaches closely but never meets or touches.

Matrix

A collection of numbers or letters arranged in rows and columns to represent a number.

Angle bisector

The line in a triangle whose length is the square root of the product of adjacent sides minus the product of the segments of the third side.

Axiom

A self-evident statement such as 'The whole is greater than any one of its parts.'

Altitude

A perpendicular segment from a vertex of a triangle to the line containing the opposite side.

Are

An S.I. unit of area equal to $100\,\text{m}^2$.

Angle of elevation

The angle between the horizontal and the line of sight to an object located above the observer's eye.

Argand diagram

A diagram used in complex algebra to represent a complex plane.

Annulus

The area bounded by two concentric circles.

Arithmetic sequence

A series where each term is derived from the preceding term by adding a constant value.

Atto

The prefix representing the value $10^{-18}$.

Asset turnover

The ratio of annual sales to the average of assets used in producing those sales.

Amortization

A method of repaying a debt (principal and interest included) through a series of equal payments at periodic intervals.