In this article, (and video above), we’re going to calculate the heat transfer through a concrete wall. This question forms part of the Mechanical section of the FE Exam and will give you a better understanding of what you can expect during the exam. This week’s problem was solved by Enrique Ivers, an Engineer in Training.
Question:
A concrete wall is 20 cm thick and has an overall thermal resistance of 0.2 m2 ·°C/W. The temperature difference between the two wall surfaces is 5°C. What is most nearly the heat transfer through the wall?
Solution:
Find the heat transfer per unit area:
Answer:
The correct answer is D.
This Episode Is Brought to You by PPI

I hope you found this week’s FE Environmental engineering exam prep question helpful. In upcoming articles, I will answer more FE Exam questions and run through more practice problems. We publish videos bi-weekly on our Pass the FE Exam YouTube Channel. Be sure to visit our page here and click the subscribe button as you’ll get expert tips and tricks – to ensure your best success – that you can’t get anywhere else. Believe me, you won’t want to miss a single video.
Lastly, I encourage you to ask questions in the comments of the videos or here on this page and I’ll read and respond to them in future videos. So, if there’s a specific topic you want me to cover or answer, we have you covered.
I’ll see you next week.
Anthony Fasano, P.E.
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success




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