Angular contact ball bearing can accept what type of loads?

• A. Radial loads only
• B. Axial loads only
• C. A combination of radial and thrust loads
• D. None of these

Answer: (C)

Angular contact ball bearings are designed with a raceway angle between the inner and outer rings, so when a load is applied there’s an axial (thrust) component in addition to the radial component. That angled contact lets the bearing carry both radial and axial loads, and you can increase axial capacity by using a larger contact angle or by pairing bearings in back-to-back or face-to-face arrangements to handle thrust in both directions. In practice, you’ll see them used in spindles and other machines where shaft experience combines radial forces with axial thrust. So the best description is that this bearing can accept a combination of radial and thrust (axial) loads. Radial-only or axial-only scenarios don’t capture the real behavior, and “none” isn’t correct.