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Junior Cycle · Junior Cycle Engineering

Junior Cycle Engineering: Fasteners

How often Fasteners comes up on the Engineering papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

CL Asked on 3 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Fasteners, Common Level(8 marks)

Quick ones on Fasteners.

(a)What is the main job of a flat washer placed under a nut?
  1. Locks the nut so it cannot come loose
  2. Spreads the load and protects the surface
  3. Makes the bolt reach through thick parts
(b)Why is a nyloc nut (a nut with a nylon ring inside) used on a lawnmower handle bolt?
  1. The nylon insulates the bolt from electricity
  2. The nylon lets you spin it off by hand
  3. The nylon grips the thread against vibration
(c)When is a wing nut a good choice of fastener?
  1. When it is often tightened by hand
  2. When the nut must sit hidden below the surface
  3. When a joint must resist strong vibration
Show the answers

(a) Spreads the load and protects the surface

(b) The nylon grips the thread against vibration

(c) When it is often tightened by hand

Your turn: Common Level questions on Fasteners.

Common Level

Asked on 3 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2026. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Q2e
2025Not asked
2024Not asked
2023Q2a, Q3c
2022Q4a, Q4c

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Fasteners questions

Fasteners, 3 marks

Why is a countersunk screw used to fix a hinge on a smooth surface?

  1. Its head is easy to grip with pliers
  2. Its round head stands up as a feature
  3. Its head sits flush with the surface
Show the answer

Its head sits flush with the surface

The cone-shaped head sits into a countersunk hole, so the top is level (flush) with the surface. Nothing sticks out to catch fingers or clothes, and it looks neat.

Fasteners, 3 marks

Why is threadlocking liquid put on a screw in a machine that vibrates?

  1. It stops current flowing in the screw
  2. It sets and stops the screw working loose
  3. It oils the thread so it turns easily
Show the answer

It sets and stops the screw working loose

Threadlock is a liquid adhesive that fills the gaps in the thread and hardens. Vibration cannot then shake the screw loose, but it can still be undone with a tool.

Other Engineering topics

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