Question

With an increase of the number of cylinders in a multicylinder engine the power to weight ratio ______________

(a) decreases

(b) increases

(c) remains unaffected

(d) none of the mentioned

The question was posed to me during an interview for a job.

This interesting question is from Engine Performance Characteristics in portion Measurements and Testing/Performance Parameters and Characteristics of IC Engine

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

(a) decreases

As the number of cylinders in a multicylinder engine increases, the power-to-weight ratio typically decreases. This happens because while the engine produces more power with additional cylinders, the overall weight of the engine also increases due to the extra components (cylinders, pistons, etc.). The increase in weight may offset the additional power, leading to a lower power-to-weight ratio.