Answer to Mechanical Advantage

Worksheet
• 1. What is the mechanical advantage
of the system pictured?

4
 Answer to Mechanical Advantage
Worksheet
2. If the load is 100 pounds, how much
effort is required to pick up the load?

Given: Load (R) = 100 Pounds

Find: Effort (E)
Equation: MA = Load/Effort = R/E
Solve: 4 = 100 lb / E
E = 100 lb / 4 = 25 lb
 Answer to Mechanical Advantage
Worksheet
3. What is the mechanical advantage of the system pictured on
the left if the diameter of the wheel is 15 feet and the diameter
of the axle is 3 feet?
Given: d wheel = 15 ft; d axle = 3 ft
Find: MA
Equation: radius = ½ d
MA = radius of wheel/radius of axle
Solve: r wheel = ½ (15’) = 7.5 ft
r axle = ½ (3’) = 1.5 ft and
MA = 7.5’/1.5 ft = 5
 Answer to Mechanical Advantage
Worksheet
4. If Mrs. Jones can only pull with 25 lbs of
force, how much weight can she lift using the
wheel and axle system from question 3?

Given: MA =5; Effort = 25lb

Find: Load
Equation: MA = Load (R) / Effort(E)
Solve: 5 = Load/25 lb
Load = (5)(25 lb) = 125 lb
 Answer to Mechanical Advantage
Worksheet
5. If we build a ramp in Tech Ed class
that is 2 feet high and the length of
the ramp is 30 feet, what is the
mechanical advantage?

Given: H = 2 ft ; L = 30 ft
Find: MA
Equation: MA = L/H
Solve: MA = 30 ft/ 2ft = 15
 Answer to Mechanical Advantage
Worksheet
6. How much effort force would
someone need to push a 45 pound
box up the ramp from question 5?
Given: MA = 15; Load = 45 lb
Find: Effort
Equation: MA = R/E
Solve: 15 = 45 lb / E = 3 lb
 Answer to Mechanical Advantage
Worksheet
7. Jose and Suzette construct an arm where
the effort is located 10 inches from the
fulcrum and the load is 25 inches from the
fulcrum, what is the mechanical advantage
of the arm?

Given: LE = 10 in; LR = 25 in
Find: MA
Equation: MA = LE/LR
Solve: MA = 10 in / 25 in = 0.4
 Answer to Mechanical Advantage
Worksheet
8. Find the mechanical advantage and the
maximum separation load for a wedge used to
split the object shown. The wedge has an incline
length of 8 inches, an overall height of 2 inches.
The effort load applied is 60 pounds.
Given: L = 8 in ; H = 2 in; E = 60 lb
Find: MA; Max. Load
Equation: MA = L/H; MA = R/E
Solve: MA = 8 in/2 in = 4
4 = R/60 lb
R =(4)(60 lb) = 240 lb
 Answer to Mechanical Advantage
Worksheet
9. Using a 1-inch diameter screwdriver, students in
the lab used the screw shown to fasten two
objects together. What is the mechanical
advantage of the screw?
Given: d screwdriver = 1 in; d screw = ¾ in; # of
threads/1 in screw = 10
Find: MA
Equation: MA = Circumference (C) / Pitch
C = (π)(d screwdriver)
pitch = 1/# of threads per inch
Solve: pitch = 1/10 = 0.1 in
c = (π)(1 in) = (3.14)(1 in) = 3.14 in 3/4 - 10 UNC
MA = 3.14 in / 0.1 in = 31.4
 Answer to Mechanical Advantage
Worksheet
• Application:
– The students’ answers will vary. The purpose
of the question is to assist them with their
project.