A construction crew must use a lever to lift a boulder. The mechanical advantage of the lever is 6 and the lever applies a force of 1600 N to the rock. What is the force that the construction crew must apply to the lever? a 267 J b 380 J c 534 J d 134 J
The mechanical advantage of a lever is calculated by dividing the output force (force exerted on the boulder) by the input force (force exerted by the construction crew).
In this case, the mechanical advantage is given as 6, and the output force is 1600 N. Let's call the input force F in.
6 = 1600 N / F in
To find the input force, we can multiply both sides of the equation by F in:
6 * F in = 1600 N
F in = 1600 N / 6
F in = 267 N
Therefore, the force that the construction crew must apply to the lever is 267 N.
The answer is (a) 267 J. However, it should be noted that the unit for force is Newton (N), not Joule (J).