To increase the mechanical advantage of a ramp, the best option would be:
A) Increase the length of the ramp.
Increasing the length of the ramp distributes the height over a longer distance, which makes it easier to move an object up the ramp with less force needed. This effectively increases the mechanical advantage.
The other options have different effects:
- B) Increasing the height of the ramp increases the steepness, which can actually decrease mechanical advantage because more force is required to lift the object vertically.
- C) Decreasing the length of the ramp would increase the steepness and thus require more force, reducing mechanical advantage.
- D) Covering the ramp with carpet might increase friction, making it harder to move objects up the ramp, which would decrease the effectiveness of the ramp.
Thus, the correct answer to increase mechanical advantage is A) increase the length of the ramp.