Mechanical Systems: Going Further

Mechanical advantage, work and efficiency, calculated on real machines.

8 questions, free, marked as you go with a worked explanation on every one.

What this covers

The questions

  1. A lever lets a 50 N effort lift a 350 N load. What is its mechanical advantage?
  2. A wheelbarrow has the load between the wheel and the handles. Which class of lever is it, and where is the fulcrum?
  3. A worker pushes a crate 4 m along the floor with a steady force of 75 N in the direction of motion. How much work is done, in joules?
  4. A machine has 600 J of work put in and does 480 J of useful work. What is its efficiency, as a percentage?
  5. Why is no real machine 100 percent efficient? Select all that apply.
  6. A machine has a mechanical advantage of 5. What does that tell you about the distance the effort must move?
  7. Two gears mesh. The driver has 10 teeth, the driven has 40. What happens to speed and to turning force?
  8. A student oils a squeaking bicycle chain and the bicycle becomes easier to pedal. Which explanation is best?

Answer these free