College

What is the mechanical advantage of the wheel and axle shown below?

A. 43.9
B. 40.9
C. 21.2
D. 35.5

Answer :

Final answer:

The mechanical advantage for a wheel and axle, like the one described for a typical car with an axle radius of 1.10 cm and a wheel radius of 27.5 cm, is 25. This is found using the formula MA = radius of wheel / radius of axle.

Explanation:

The mechanical advantage (MA) of a wheel and axle system can be found by dividing the radius of the wheel by the radius of the axle. For the given example of a car with an axle radius of 1.10 cm and a wheel radius of 27.5 cm, the calculation of its MA would be as follows:

MA = radius of wheel / radius of axle

MA = 27.5 cm / 1.10 cm

MA = 25

Therefore, the mechanical advantage of the described car's wheel and axle is 25, which means option (c) 21.2 is not a correct answer. This calculation is based on a simplified model, which assumes ideal conditions without taking friction into account.