Question

You find an antique car jack like the one shown in the figure at an estate sale. After cleaning it up, you establish that the amount of friction is negligible and that the input and output pistons have a diameter of 0.28 in. and 1.9 in., respectively. a) Determine the force F needed to support a 1000-lb load at the output piston. Force F needed to lift 1000 lbs is? b)what is the mechanical advantage of this lever as compared with pushing directly on the input piston without a lever?

Answer 1

part a:

as pressure gets transmitted,

input pressure=output pressure

==>F/(pi*(0.28/2)^2)=1000/(pi*(1.9/2)^2)

==>F=21.7174 lb

part b:

mechanical advantage of using these type of lever is by applying very less force, with correct design, we can lift very high weights where as in direct lifting all the force required to lift the weight has to be directly provided.