What is the mechanical advantage calculation for cracking a nut with pliers?

[Stratosphere]

Homework Statement

The figure shows scale drawing of a pair of pliers being
used to crack a nut, with an appropriately reduced centimeter grid.
Warning: do not attempt this at home; it is bad manners. If the
force required to crack the nut is 300 N, estimate the force required
of the person's hand.( the pliers have a 10cm handle)

Homework Equations

T=Fr

The Attempt at a Solution

I don't know how to start with this one.

 

[LowlyPion]

Don't you have the equation?

Figure the mechanical advantage from the hand side to the nut side?

Plug in the numbers?

 

[Stratosphere]

If I use the equation i would need 3000N of force to break the nut. Thats way off. That can't be the right equation.

 

[LowlyPion]

The mechanical advantage is what you need to know.

How far from the pivot is the jaws holding the nut?

You missed my edit in my first post.

 

[Stratosphere]

Whats the formula for MA that i could use?

 

[Stratosphere]

How do i get the input force if I don't know the MA and i only know the output force?

 

[LowlyPion]

Whats the formula for MA that i could use?

You don't need m*a.

The hand exerts a force through the pivot to the jaws and the nut.

On one side is the nut. The other your hand.

The length away from the pivot your hand is divided by the length away from the pivot the nut is, is your mechanical advantage.

If your hand is squeezing 10 cm from the pivot and the nut on the other side is 2 cm away, then that ratio 10/2 is the mechanical advantage.

For my example only then 300N / 5 (the mechanical advantage is the force that needs to be applied.