← MES Jr. Grade
Past Questions
In the case of unsymmetrical bending, the direction of neutral axis is
A)
perpendicular to the plane of bending.
B)
not perpendicular to the plane of bending.
C)
neither (a) nor (b)
D)
both (a) and (b)
In unsymmetrical bending, the bending moment does not act about a principal axis, so the neutral axis generally does not remain perpendicular to the plane of bending. Instead, its orientation depends on the section geometry and the direction of loading. Hence, option (b) is correct. Option (a) is true for simple/symmetrical bending, not unsymmetrical bending.
A piece of timber attached in inclined position within a door frame is called
A)
mullion
B)
louver
C)
sash
D)
horn
In timber door/frame terminology, a horn is the projecting or extended part of a timber member used for support or connection, often seen in door and window frames. Among the given options, only horn matches the description of a timber piece attached in an inclined/supporting position within a door frame. Mullion is a vertical member dividing openings, louver is a slatted arrangement for ventilation, and sash is the movable frame holding glass.
Which of the following statements is incorrect?
A)
Stress is directly proportional to strain within elastic limit
B)
The stress is force per unit area
C)
Hooke’s law holds good upto the breaking point
D)
The ratio of linear stress to linear strain is called Young’s Modulus.
The incorrect statement is (c). Hooke’s law states that stress is directly proportional to strain only up to the elastic limit, not up to the breaking point.
(a) is correct: within the elastic limit, stress ∝ strain.
(b) is correct: stress is force per unit area.
(d) is correct in meaning: Young’s modulus is the ratio of longitudinal (linear) stress to longitudinal strain.
Therefore, the wrong statement is (c).
The combined effect of external forces acting on a body is called
A)
stress
B)
strain
C)
load
D)
work
The combined effect of external forces acting on a body is called a load. A load is the external force or system of forces applied to a body. Stress is the internal resisting force per unit area, strain is the deformation produced, and work is force multiplied by displacement, so they are not correct here.
A member is subjected to tensile force P. If its normal cross-section perpendicular to line of force is A, what will be the resulting normal stress in an oblique plane inclined at an angle @ to transverse plane?
A)
(P/A)cos2@
B)
(P/2A) cos2@
C)
(P/A) cos²@
D)
(P/A)sin²@
For a member under direct tensile force P, the direct normal stress on the cross-section perpendicular to the force is σ = P/A. For an oblique plane making an angle @ with the transverse plane, the normal stress on that plane is obtained by resolving the force components and area transformation, giving σ_n = (P/A) cos²@. Hence, the correct option is (c). Option (a) is incorrect because the stress varies with the square of cosine, not double angle. Option (b) is incorrect due to the extra factor of 1/2. Option (d) is incorrect because sine squared would correspond to the complementary relationship, not the normal stress on the inclined plane.
Which of the following forms the basis of rigid bodies and strength of materials?
A)
Centroid
B)
Centre of gravity
C)
Moment of inertia
D)
any of these
In engineering mechanics, the concept that forms an important basis for the analysis of rigid bodies and strength of materials is the moment of inertia. It is used in studying resistance to bending, torsion, and the distribution of area/mass about an axis. Centroid and centre of gravity are important geometric and physical concepts, but they are not the main basis referred to here. Therefore, the correct answer is moment of inertia.
A beam of length L, fixed at both ends, carries a point load W at its centre. If EI is the flexural rigidity of the beam, the maximum deflection of the beam is
A)
WL /24EI
B)
WL² /48EI
C)
WL³ /192EI
D)
WL³ /384EI
For a beam fixed at both ends with a central point load W, the loading and support conditions are symmetric. Using standard beam deflection results from Strength of Materials, the maximum deflection occurs at the centre and is given by \(\delta_{max} = \frac{WL^3}{192EI}\). The other options do not match the standard formula for a fixed-ended beam under a central concentrated load.
For practical purposes, Portland cement may be considered as composed of four principal compounds namely Lime, Silica, Iron Oxide and
A)
Magnesia
B)
Soda
C)
Alumina
D)
Sulphur Oxide
Portland cement is practically considered to be composed of four principal compounds: lime, silica, alumina, and iron oxide. Hence the missing component is alumina. Magnesia, soda, and sulphur oxide are not counted among the four principal compounds in this standard classification.
This is the most common type of floor covering in Indian buildings and it is also known as Indian Patent Stone flooring. Identify the type.
A)
Concrete floor covering
B)
Stone floor covering
C)
Tile floor covering
D)
Mosaic floor covering
Indian Patent Stone flooring is another name for mosaic flooring. It is a common floor finish in Indian buildings, made by laying chips of marble, stone, or other aggregates in cement mortar and polishing the surface. Concrete flooring, stone flooring, and tile flooring are different types and are not known by this name.
Equilibrium conditions for coplanar concurrent forces are
A)
ΣFx=0
B)
ΣFy=0
C)
both (a) and (b)
D)
none of these
For a system of coplanar concurrent forces to be in equilibrium, the resultant force must be zero in both the x-direction and the y-direction. Hence, the equilibrium conditions are ΣFx = 0 and ΣFy = 0. Option (a) alone is incomplete, option (b) alone is incomplete, so the correct choice is both (a) and (b).
A beam of length L, fixed at both ends, carries a uniformly distributed load of w per unit length throughout the span. The bending moment at the ends is
A)
wL²/8
B)
wL²/12
C)
wL²/16
D)
wL²/24
For a beam fixed at both ends and carrying a uniformly distributed load over the full span, the standard fixed-end moment at each support is wL²/12 (hogging). This is a well-known result from strength of materials. Therefore, the bending moment at the ends is wL²/12. The other options correspond to different loading/support conditions and are not correct here.
A rigid body in translation
A)
can move along a straight or curved path
B)
can only move in a straight line
C)
cannot move on a circular path
D)
must undergo curvilinear motion
In pure translation, a rigid body moves without rotation, so every line in the body remains parallel to its original position. The path of motion may be straight or curved. Hence, a rigid body in translation can move along a straight or curved path. Option (b) is too restrictive, (c) is incorrect because a translated body may follow a circular path, and (d) is wrong because curvilinear motion is not compulsory.
The sum of rotation factors at a point in Kani’s Method of design is replacement for X.
A)
0
B)
-1/2
C)
1/2
D)
1
In Kani’s method, the rotation factor is defined as the fraction of the unbalanced moment carried over to the adjoining member. At a joint, the algebraic sum of the rotation factors of all members meeting there is 1. Hence the sum of rotation factors at a point is replaced by X = 1. Therefore, option (d) is correct.
Forces whose line of action pass through a common point are called
A)
non-parallel forces
B)
non-concurrent forces
C)
coplanar forces
D)
concurrent forces
Forces whose lines of action pass through a common point are called concurrent forces. They may be in the same plane or different planes, but the key condition is that all the lines intersect at one point. The other options are incorrect: non-parallel forces only means the forces are not parallel; non-concurrent forces do not meet at one point; coplanar forces only means the forces lie in the same plane.
If Poisson’s ratio = 1/m, E = Modulus of Elasticity and C = Modulus of Rigidity, then their relation is given by
A)
E=C(1+ 1/m)
B)
E=2C(1+ 1/m)
C)
E=C(1+2/m)
D)
E=2C(1+2/m)
For an isotropic elastic material, the relation between Young’s modulus (E), modulus of rigidity (C or G), and Poisson’s ratio (ν) is:
E = 2G(1 + ν)
Here, Poisson’s ratio ν = 1/m and modulus of rigidity is given as C. So,
E = 2C(1 + 1/m)
Hence, option (b) is correct. The other options do not match the standard elastic relation.
Coal, petroleum, air and water are used in the production of this type of plastics. Identify the type.
A)
Acrylic
B)
Vinyl
C)
Poly Vinyl Acetate (PVA)
D)
Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC)
Acrylic plastics are synthetic plastics produced from petrochemical raw materials, commonly described in exam contexts as being made from coal, petroleum, air, and water. Among the options, acrylic is the correct type. Vinyl, PVA, and PVC are other plastic types, but this specific raw-material description is classically associated with acrylic plastics.
A limit state design should satisfy the serviceability requirements such as deflection and
A)
flexure
B)
shear
C)
torsion
D)
cracking
In limit state design, serviceability requirements deal with the satisfactory performance of a structure under normal use. Typical serviceability checks include deflection, cracking, and vibration. Among the given options, cracking is the correct companion requirement to deflection. Flexure, shear, and torsion are modes of structural action or strength limit states, not serviceability requirements.
In the case of sections near supports of continuous beams, which of the following statements is true?
A)
compression at top fibre
B)
tension at top fibre
C)
compression at neutral axis
D)
tension at neutral axis
In a continuous beam, the regions near supports usually develop negative bending moment (hogging moment). Under hogging moment, the top fibres are in tension and the bottom fibres are in compression. Therefore, near the supports of continuous beams, the correct statement is tension at top fibre. The other options are incorrect because compression at the top fibre is associated with sagging moment regions, and stress is not stated correctly in terms of the neutral axis.
The permissible stresses in steel reinforcement (in N/mm²) in Mild Steel Bars Conforming to Grade I of IS 432 (Part I) in Tension upto and including 20 mm diameter is
A)
130
B)
140
C)
190
D)
230
For Mild Steel Bars conforming to Grade I of IS 432 (Part I), the permissible tensile stress for bars up to and including 20 mm diameter is 130 N/mm². The other values correspond to different categories or are not the standard permissible stress for this specific grade and diameter range.
Bending moment at supports in case of simply supported beams is always
A)
zero
B)
unity
C)
less than unity
D)
more than unity
In a simply supported beam, the supports are idealized as a pin and a roller, which allow rotation and do not resist bending. Therefore, the bending moment at both supports is always zero. Hence, option (a) is correct. The other options are incorrect because bending moment at supports of a simply supported beam is neither unity, nor generally less than or more than unity.
A type of roof, commonly adopted, sloping in two directions is known as
A)
Shed roof
B)
Gabble roof
C)
Hiproof
D)
Mansard roof
A roof sloping in two directions and meeting at a ridge is a gable roof (spelled here as 'Gabble roof'). It is one of the most commonly adopted roof types. Shed roof slopes in only one direction, hip roof slopes in four directions, and mansard roof is a double-sloped roof on each side.
Sometimes the light entering from the windows in the walls of a building is inadequate. In this case, some more windows are provided on the flat roofs to admit more light into the room. This type of window is known as
A)
Skylight
B)
Dormer window
C)
Clerestorey window
D)
Lantem light
A window provided on a flat roof to admit additional light into a room is called a skylight. Dormer windows project from a sloping roof, clerestory windows are placed in the upper part of walls, and lantern lights are raised structures on roofs used for lighting and ventilation.
The process of mixing water in quick lime is known as
A)
calcination
B)
slaking
C)
grinding
D)
setting
Quick lime is calcium oxide (CaO). When water is added to quick lime, it forms calcium hydroxide and gives off heat; this process is called slaking (or slaking of lime). Calcination is the process of heating limestone to obtain quick lime, grinding is a size-reduction process, and setting refers to hardening after mixing, not the addition of water to quick lime.
As per IS 456 : 2000, for spans upto 10 m, the vertical deflections limits may generally be assumed to be satisfied provided that the span to effective depth ratio in case of simply supported beams is not greater than
A)
7
B)
15
C)
20
D)
26
As per IS 456:2000, the basic span-to-effective depth ratio for deflection control in a simply supported beam is 20. However, for spans up to 10 m, this value may generally be increased by 30%, giving 20 × 1.3 = 26. Hence, the limit is 26. The other options do not match the code provision.
While planning buildings, the minimum distance of a septic tank from any source of drinking water must be
A)
22 metres
B)
20 metres
C)
18 metres
D)
16 metres
The recommended minimum separation between a septic tank and any source of drinking water is 20 metres to prevent contamination of the water supply. Among the given options, 20 metres is the standard safe distance. The other values (22 m, 18 m, 16 m) are not the commonly prescribed minimum in sanitary engineering practice.