Mechanical Advantage of a Lever

[Wolfowitz]

Homework Statement

If a lever has a mechanical advantage of 0.5 - does this mean the input force is not amplified but halved?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 

[PeterO]

Homework Statement

if a lever has a mechanical advantage of 0.5 - does this mean the input force is not amplified but halved?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

yes !

 

[NascentOxygen]

If a lever has a mechanical advantage of 0.5 - does this mean the input force is not amplified but halved?

So you might wonder, "What's the advantage then, when I have to exert double the force?" Well, as is the way with simple levers, if one thing halves, something else will double. Can you figure out how we benefit here, with this type of lever?

 

[Wolfowitz]

Work input = Work output
(Force * distance) input = (Force * distance) output
(Force * distance) input = (force/2 * distance2) output

Distance is doubled, right?

But what, exactly, is "distance" in terms of a lever?

 

[NascentOxygen]

Work input = Work output
(Force * distance) input = (Force * distance) output
(Force * distance) input = (force/2 * distance2) output

Distance is doubled, right?

But what, exactly, is "distance" in terms of a lever?

Make one using a ruler or stick, and see if you can figure it out.