A lever has an effort arm of 8 cm and a load arm of 2 cm. What is the theoretical mechanical advantage?

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Multiple Choice

A lever has an effort arm of 8 cm and a load arm of 2 cm. What is the theoretical mechanical advantage?

Explanation:
In a lever, the theoretical mechanical advantage is the ratio of the effort arm length to the load arm length. This ideal value assumes no friction and no weight of the lever. Here the effort arm is 8 cm and the load arm is 2 cm, so the mechanical advantage is 8 ÷ 2 = 4. This means, in the ideal case, you can lift four times as much load as you could without multiplying your force. The other numbers don’t match the 8 cm to 2 cm ratio, so 4 is the correct result.

In a lever, the theoretical mechanical advantage is the ratio of the effort arm length to the load arm length. This ideal value assumes no friction and no weight of the lever. Here the effort arm is 8 cm and the load arm is 2 cm, so the mechanical advantage is 8 ÷ 2 = 4. This means, in the ideal case, you can lift four times as much load as you could without multiplying your force. The other numbers don’t match the 8 cm to 2 cm ratio, so 4 is the correct result.

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