In a hydraulic lift whose ideal mechanical advantage is 5, how far can the output platform be lifted when the input platform is depressed 43.0 cm?

1 answer

To determine how far the output platform can be lifted in a hydraulic lift with an ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) of 5, we can use the relationship between the input distance and the output distance in a hydraulic system.

The ideal mechanical advantage is defined as:

\[ \text{IMA} = \frac{d_{\text{input}}}{d_{\text{output}}} \]

Where:

  • \( d_{\text{input}} \) is the distance the input platform is moved (43.0 cm).
  • \( d_{\text{output}} \) is the distance the output platform is lifted.

From the formula, we can express the output distance as:

\[ d_{\text{output}} = \frac{d_{\text{input}}}{\text{IMA}} \]

Substituting the given values:

\[ d_{\text{output}} = \frac{43.0 , \text{cm}}{5} \]

Calculating this gives:

\[ d_{\text{output}} = 8.6 , \text{cm} \]

Therefore, the output platform can be lifted 8.6 cm when the input platform is depressed by 43.0 cm.