NTN FireTEAM cheat sheet

Mechanical advantage of a lever = effort arm length ÷ load arm length; a lever with a longer effort arm multiplies force.

For a class-1 lever, the fulcrum sits between effort and load; class-2 has load between fulcrum and effort; class-3 has effort between fulcrum and load.

Gear ratio = teeth on driven gear ÷ teeth on driving gear; a larger driven gear turns slower and with more torque.

In a simple pulley system, a movable pulley halves the effort force but doubles the distance the rope must be pulled.

Pressure = force ÷ area; the same force spread over a larger area produces less pressure.

Density = mass ÷ volume; an object less dense than the fluid it is in will float.

Work = force × distance moved in the direction of the force; holding a weight motionless does zero work.

In a series circuit, current is the same at every point and total resistance adds; in a parallel circuit, voltage is equal across branches.

Heat flows from higher temperature to lower temperature; metal conducts heat faster than wood or plastic.

Active listening means restating or summarizing the speaker's message before responding.

Conflict resolution steps: identify the problem, hear both sides, generate options, agree on a solution, follow up.

Chain of command: report concerns to the immediate supervisor first, escalating upward only if unresolved.

Use 'I' statements to describe behavior and impact rather than accusing the other person.

Nonverbal cues (eye contact, posture, tone) carry meaning alongside spoken words.

Diversity and inclusion: treat coworkers by consistent standards regardless of background, and address bias-based remarks.

Confidentiality: personnel and medical information is shared only with those who have a need to know.

Constructive feedback is specific, behavior-focused, timely, and paired with a path to improvement.

Percent change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100; a positive result is an increase, negative a decrease.

To find a part: part = percent × whole; convert percent to a decimal by dividing by 100.

Order of operations: parentheses, exponents, multiplication/division left to right, addition/subtraction left to right.

Average (mean) = sum of values ÷ number of values.

Unit rate: divide the total by the number of units to get cost or quantity per single unit.

Fractions: to add or subtract, find a common denominator; to divide, multiply by the reciprocal.

Area of a rectangle = length × width; area of a triangle = ½ × base × height.

Ratio problems: set up a proportion a/b = c/d and cross-multiply to solve for the unknown.

Main idea = the central point the whole passage supports; details support it rather than replace it.

Inference means a conclusion logically implied by the text but not stated directly.

Chronological order signals sequence; cause-and-effect signals reasons and results.

Transition words (however, therefore, although) show contrast, conclusion, or concession.

A fact can be verified; an opinion expresses judgment or belief.

Tone is the author's attitude, revealed through word choice rather than stated outright.

When asked for the best summary, choose the choice covering the whole passage, not one detail.

Restate a question in your own words and locate the sentence in the passage that answers it.

A complete sentence needs a subject and a predicate and expresses a complete thought.

A run-on joins two independent clauses without proper punctuation; fix with a period, semicolon, or conjunction.

Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or) joining two independent clauses.

Subject-verb agreement: singular subjects take singular verbs; ignore phrases between subject and verb.

Pronouns must agree with their antecedent in number and gender.

Apostrophes show possession (the firefighter's gear) or contraction (it's = it is); 'its' shows possession.

Parallel structure: items in a list use the same grammatical form (checking, testing, and reporting).

Choose the concise wording; remove redundant phrases such as 'advance planning' or 'past history'.