🔍 Key Concepts

• Side thrust / side pressure on the cylinder wall caused by a connecting rod at an angle • How connecting rod angularity changes with crank position and engine speed • Relationship between inertia/force and engine speed in reciprocating machinery

💭 Think About

• Which of the options would most directly change the force pushing the piston sideways against the cylinder wall, rather than just its size or weight? • How would increasing engine speed affect the inertia forces on the piston and connecting rod, and thus the side pressure? • Which dimensions listed (piston length, cylinder liner length) actually change the SIDE load per unit area, versus only changing the total area over which it acts?

✅ Before You Answer

• Be clear that the question asks about pressure per unit area, not total force or total area • Focus on what most affects the magnitude of the lateral (side) force due to connecting rod motion, not just component geometry • Ask: Which choice is most directly tied to the dynamic forces produced during operation, rather than simple static geometry?