Engineering Principles - Mechanical Advantage & Levers

Mechanical advantage is best described as:

• The factor by which a machine multiplies the force put into it.

• The amount of energy lost in a system.

• The speed at which a machine operates.

• The distance a lever moves.

The arm design helped you lift or reach farther with less effort because:

• It used levers or pulleys to reduce the amount of force needed.

• It made the arm heavier and harder to move.

• It shortened the reach of the arm.

• It required more effort to lift objects.

The greatest mechanical advantage in your arm occurs at which location?

• At the point where the muscle attaches closest to the elbow joint

• At the wrist

• At the shoulder joint

• At the fingertips

What kind of motion did your extendable arm use?

• Linear
• Oscillating

• None

• Rotational

Which shape is known for being able to stay strong and stable?

• Triangle

• Square

• Circle

• Rectangle

Which factor increases the mechanical advantage of a lever in an arm mechanism?

• Shortening the load arm

• Adding more weight to the load

• Decreasing the length of the effort arm

• Increasing the length of the effort arm

Which simple machine is most similar to the action of a human arm lifting a weight?

• Wheel and axle

• Inclined plane

• Pulley

• Lever

What happens to the force needed if you increase the length of the effort arm in a lever?

• The force stays the same

• The force needed increases

• The force needed decreases

• The force becomes zero