Mechanical advantage is a measure of the force amplification that is achieved by using a tool, mechanical device, or machine system. The formula for mechanical advantage is shown below.

A crowbar can be used to remove a nail from a board. If the crowbar has a mechanical advantage of 8, and the a force of 40 Newtons is applied to it, what will be the output force?

Question

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

320 Newtons. The question provides the mechanical advantage and the input force. The first step is to plug these numbers into the equation:

8 = x/40

To solve this, multiply each side by 40:

8 × 40 = x x = 320.

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