In reading a basic hydraulic schematic, which sequence best describes the typical flow path?

• A. From pump to valve to actuator
• B. From reservoir to pump to reservoir
• C. From actuator to pump to reservoir
• D. From valve to reservoir to pump

Answer: (A)

In a basic hydraulic circuit, the fluid is drawn from the reservoir by the pump, then directed by the control valve to the actuator where work is done, and finally returns to the reservoir to be recirculated. This creates a loop where the pump feeds the valve, which routes flow to the actuator, and the fluid comes back to the reservoir.

So the best sequence is pump → valve → actuator because it reflects how the system uses the pump to push fluid through the control valve to the actuator, with the reservoir completing the loop. The other sequences either skip the actuator, place the reservoir in an order that doesn’t match the forward flow, or imply flow paths that don’t represent how work is delivered in the circuit.