Solving Lever Mechanics: Find Ideal Mechanical Advantage

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SUMMARY

The Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) of a lever is calculated using the formula IMA = Le / Lr, where Le is the length of the effort arm and Lr is the length of the resistance arm. In this case, with an effort arm of 60 cm and a resistance arm of 10 cm, the IMA is 6. The 65 N force mentioned is extraneous information for calculating the IMA, as the calculation is unitless and relies solely on the arm lengths. The key takeaway is that the mechanical advantage does not depend on the force applied.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of lever mechanics
  • Familiarity with the concepts of effort arm and resistance arm
  • Basic knowledge of ratios and unitless calculations
  • Ability to interpret physics-related problems
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the principles of mechanical advantage in different types of levers
  • Learn about real-world applications of levers in engineering
  • Explore the differences between Ideal Mechanical Advantage and Actual Mechanical Advantage
  • Investigate the role of friction in lever systems
USEFUL FOR

Students studying physics, engineers working on mechanical systems, and anyone interested in understanding the principles of levers and mechanical advantage.

billnyerocks
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Levers Please Help!

A man uses 65 N to lift a box off the ground with a lever. The effort arm is 60 cm. The resistance arm is 10 cm. What is the Ideal Mechanical Advantage?
 
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Sounds like a homework problem: the mechanical advantage is the ratio of the arm lengths. Calculate it (you need to figure out which goes on top) and tell us what you get.
 
The formula for the ideal mechanical advantage of a lever is Le divided by Lr (Lever effort over Lever resistance), which would make it 6 cm, but what is the 65 N for?
 
billnyerocks said:
The formula for the ideal mechanical advantage of a lever is Le divided by Lr (Lever effort over Lever resistance), which would make it 6 cm, but what is the 65 N for?

Some problems give you more information than you need to answer the question. The 65 N is information you do not need to find the ideal mechanical advantage.
 
Sorry about the double post, but after I posted, I read something that said to post in the homework section for homework help. Trying to follow the rules, I posted there. I thought that you could delete a post, but you can't, so I got two posts.
 
billnyerocks said:
The formula for the ideal mechanical advantage of a lever is Le divided by Lr (Lever effort over Lever resistance), which would make it 6 cm, but what is the 65 N for?
Actually, its unitless - since cm/cm cancels to 1, the units disappear.
 

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