1. Answer to Mechanical Advantage Worksheet
1. What is the mechanical advantage of the system pictured? 4

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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
MA = 3.14 in / 0.1 in = 31.4
3/ UNC

10. Answer to Mechanical Advantage Worksheet
Application:
The students’ answers will vary. The purpose of the question is to assist them with their project.