Question

Josh opens a soda can by pulling on the tab. The picture shows Josh opening the soda can.
the whole tab is 15 cm long and the part of the tab that is attached to the can is 5cm long


The tab is a simple machine. What is the mechanical advantage of the tab?

MA = output/input

a
9.0
b
21.0
c
.7
d
3.0

Answer 1

To calculate the mechanical advantage (MA) of the tab, we need to understand the concept in terms of the lengths involved:

- **Input distance**: This is the length of the part of the tab that you pull (the entire tab), which is 15 cm.
- **Output distance**: This is the length of the part of the tab that is attached to the can, which is 5 cm.

The formula for mechanical advantage is:

\[
MA = \frac{\text{output distance}}{\text{input distance}}
\]

Substituting the values we have:

\[
MA = \frac{5 \, \text{cm}}{15 \, \text{cm}}
\]

Calculating this gives:

\[
MA = \frac{5}{15}
\]
\[
MA = \frac{1}{3}
\]
\[
MA \approx 0.33
\]

None of the options directly match this calculation, but they appear to be formatted differently. Given the closest approximate value to .33, the answer we can infer from the options provided could be an issue with the expected output.

However, based on the specifically mentioned options, the closest and most logical answer from the options given (a, b, c, d) would be:

**c. 0.7**

So, the answer is **c**.