Episodes

  • FE Civil Exam Prep 50, Pump Curves, System Curves, NPSH and Cavitation

    FE Civil Exam Prep 50, Pump Curves, System Curves, NPSH and Cavitation
    Jun 16 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to find the system's operating point by intersecting the pump curve and system curve. - The critical difference between fluid power and brake horsepower, including the role of pump efficiency. - How the system curve is determined by static head and dynamic (friction) losses. - The definition of cavitation and why Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) Available must always be greater than NPSH Required. - Common exam traps involving high altitudes or high fluid temperatures that can reduce NPSHA and cause cavitation. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    3 mins
  • FE Civil Exam Prep 49, Pipe Flow — Major Losses (Darcy, Hazen-Williams) vs Minor Losses

    FE Civil Exam Prep 49, Pipe Flow — Major Losses (Darcy, Hazen-Williams) vs Minor Losses
    Jun 15 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The fundamental difference between major losses (pipe friction) and minor losses (fittings, valves, bends). - How to decide whether to use the universal Darcy-Weisbach equation or the water-only Hazen-Williams equation. - The correct procedure for using the Reynolds number and Moody Diagram to find the Darcy friction factor 'f'. - Common FE exam traps, including fluid type limitations for Hazen-Williams and unit consistency. - The methodology for calculating total system head loss by summing the major loss with all individual minor losses. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    4 mins
  • FE Civil Exam Prep 48, Reynolds Number and the Moody Diagram

    FE Civil Exam Prep 48, Reynolds Number and the Moody Diagram
    Jun 14 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to calculate the Reynolds Number and ensure unit consistency, a common exam trap. - The critical thresholds for laminar and turbulent flow as defined in the NCEES FE Reference Handbook. - A step-by-step process for finding the friction factor using the Moody Diagram with relative roughness (ε/D). - How to apply the Darcy-Weisbach equation to calculate frictional head loss in a pipe system. - A mnemonic to remember the workflow: Reynolds number, flow regime, Moody diagram, and head loss calculation. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    4 mins
  • FE Civil Exam Prep 47, Continuity, Bernoulli, and Momentum

    FE Civil Exam Prep 47, Continuity, Bernoulli, and Momentum
    Jun 13 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The Continuity Equation (A1V1 = A2V2) applies to incompressible flow and shows how fluid velocity must increase as the cross-sectional area decreases. - Bernoulli's equation is a statement of energy conservation for an ideal fluid, balancing pressure head, velocity head, and elevation head, but it is only valid for steady, incompressible, and frictionless flow. - The Momentum Equation (F = ρQΔV) is used to calculate forces exerted by moving fluids, such as on pipe bends or vanes, and requires vector analysis. - A common exam trap is misapplying Bernoulli's equation where friction is present; in such cases, the full Energy Equation with a head loss term is necessary. - Remember that velocity and force in the Momentum Equation are vectors; always break the problem down into x and y components to solve for resultant forces correctly. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    3 mins
  • FE Civil Exam Prep 46, Buoyancy and Stability — Metacentric Height

    FE Civil Exam Prep 46, Buoyancy and Stability — Metacentric Height
    Jun 12 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to apply Archimedes' principle to find the submerged depth of a floating object. - The definition and significance of metacentric height (GM) for determining the stability of floating bodies. - The step-by-step process to calculate GM using the formula from the NCEES FE Reference Handbook. - Common exam traps, including confusing the center of gravity (G) with the center of buoyancy (B) and selecting the correct moment of inertia. - A mnemonic, "GM Positive is Positively Stable," to quickly recall the stability criteria. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    3 mins
  • FE Civil Exam Prep 45, Hydrostatic Pressure on Submerged Surfaces

    FE Civil Exam Prep 45, Hydrostatic Pressure on Submerged Surfaces
    Jun 11 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The resultant hydrostatic force on a submerged plane is calculated using the pressure at the area's centroid. - The center of pressure, where the resultant force acts, is always located at a point deeper than the centroid of the area. - How to distinguish between vertical depth (h_c) and inclined distance (y_c) to the centroid, a common source of error on the exam. - For curved surfaces, forces must be resolved into separate horizontal and vertical components for analysis. - The vertical force component on a submerged curved surface is equal to the weight of the fluid column directly above it. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    3 mins
  • FE Civil Exam Prep 44, Fluid Properties — Density, Viscosity, Surface Tension

    FE Civil Exam Prep 44, Fluid Properties — Density, Viscosity, Surface Tension
    Jun 10 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The critical difference between mass density (ρ) and specific weight (γ) is the inclusion of gravity (g), a common exam tripwire. - Specific gravity (SG) is a unitless ratio comparing a substance's density to that of water, simplifying calculations with water's known constants (62.4 lb/ft³ or 9,810 N/m³). - Differentiating between dynamic viscosity (μ) and kinematic viscosity (ν) is crucial; always check the units given in the problem (e.g., Pa·s vs. m²/s) to select the correct formula. - Exam problems test viscosity primarily through Reynolds number calculations, where using the wrong viscosity leads to an incorrect flow regime classification. - The Bulk Modulus (K) quantifies a fluid's compressibility; a high K value, like water's, signifies that it can be treated as incompressible for most FE exam problems. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    4 mins
  • FE Civil Exam Prep 43, Steel — ASTM Grades, Modulus, Heat Treatment

    FE Civil Exam Prep 43, Steel — ASTM Grades, Modulus, Heat Treatment
    Jun 9 2026
    This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The key ASTM steel grades and their yield strengths: A36 (36 ksi), A992 (50 ksi), and Grade 60 rebar (60 ksi). - That the modulus of elasticity (E) for all structural steels is a constant 29,000 ksi, regardless of yield strength. - How to avoid the common exam trap confusing a steel's strength with its stiffness. - The purpose of different heat treatment processes: Annealing (softens), Quenching (hardens), and Tempering (toughens). - To recognize Brinell, Rockwell, and Vickers as the names of standard material hardness tests. For more free exam prep tools, practice questions, and AI-powered explanations, visit https://open-exam-prep.com/ or YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Open-exam-prep
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    4 mins