Calculate the mechanical advantage if a machine allows you to move a 60 newton rock by only exerting 15 newtons of force.

110 newtons

90 newtons

4 newtons

2 newtons

1 answer

Mechanical advantage (MA) is calculated using the formula:

\[ \text{MA} = \frac{\text{Output Force}}{\text{Input Force}} \]

In this case, the output force (the weight of the rock) is 60 newtons, and the input force (the force you exert) is 15 newtons. Plugging these values into the formula gives us:

\[ \text{MA} = \frac{60 \text{ N}}{15 \text{ N}} = 4 \]

Therefore, the mechanical advantage is 4.