🔍 Key Concepts

• Piston ring end gap shape and how gas passes through the gap • Effect of an angled joint vs. a square (straight) joint on leakage paths • Relationship between ring end design and ring expansion, tension, wear, and sealing

💭 Think About

• Visualize how combustion gas would try to escape past the ring at the end gap: would an angled cut make that path longer or shorter than a straight cut? • Ask yourself which of the listed options is MOST directly affected by the SHAPE of the ring gap, not by the material or size of the ring. • Consider which option would be primarily determined during manufacturing (machining of the ring ends) rather than by engine operation or springiness of the ring.

✅ Before You Answer

• Be clear on the difference between ring expansion/tension (a spring property) and end gap geometry (a machining/shape property). • Check which choice is specifically about sealing of combustion gases versus general durability or wear. • Eliminate any options that could apply equally to both straight and angle cut rings, focusing on what is UNIQUE about an angled cut.