Fluids - Pascal's Principle / Negative vs Positive

[crono_]

Homework Statement

The handle of a hydraulic jack is 15 cm long and is pivoted 2.5 cm from the input piston which has a radius of 0.60 cm. The output piston has a radius of 1.2 cm. What weight could be lifted by the jack if the person pushing on the handle is to exert no more than 110 N of force?

http://edugen.wiley.com/edugen/courses/crs2216/cutnell3550/ssg/cutnell3255c11/image_n/nw0002-y.jpg

The Attempt at a Solution

Silly question...I doubt I'm right, as I'm hardly an authority to go up against a textbook. But that being said...

I'm confused as to why the textbook (Cutnell & Johnson Physics Study Guide 7th ed.) says that F is positive when F₁ is negative? They're both pointing down...so...aren't they both negative? F₂ is positive and pointing upwards, that makes sense. But why F is also positive completely eludes me...

Am I missing something completely obvious?

On a side note - I hope I'm not violating any copyright laws by posting that diagram. I just want the answer, not a prison term!

 

[crono_]

Any thoughts?

 

[stewartcs]

Homework Statement

The handle of a hydraulic jack is 15 cm long and is pivoted 2.5 cm from the input piston which has a radius of 0.60 cm. The output piston has a radius of 1.2 cm. What weight could be lifted by the jack if the person pushing on the handle is to exert no more than 110 N of force?

http://edugen.wiley.com/edugen/courses/crs2216/cutnell3550/ssg/cutnell3255c11/image_n/nw0002-y.jpg

The Attempt at a Solution

Silly question...I doubt I'm right, as I'm hardly an authority to go up against a textbook. But that being said...

I'm confused as to why the textbook (Cutnell & Johnson Physics Study Guide 7th ed.) says that F is positive when F₁ is negative? They're both pointing down...so...aren't they both negative? F₂ is positive and pointing upwards, that makes sense. But why F is also positive completely eludes me...

Am I missing something completely obvious?

On a side note - I hope I'm not violating any copyright laws by posting that diagram. I just want the answer, not a prison term!

Perhaps they are summing the moments about the hinge in order to determine the force F1. So maybe they chose the + moment in the CCW direction (making F x d positive). Then the reaction at F1 (F1 x (d-2.5)) would be negative since it would cause a CW rotation.

Just a thought.

CS