A pair of sugar tongs (Class III lever) requires an effort force of $10\text{ N}$ to pick up a small sugar…

A pair of sugar tongs (Class III lever) requires an effort force of $10\text{ N}$ to pick up a small sugar cube weighing $2\text{ N}$. What does this tell us about the mechanical advantage of a Class III lever?
  1. Mechanical Advantage is equal to 1
  2. Mechanical Advantage is greater than 1
  3. Mechanical Advantage is less than 1
  4. Mechanical Advantage is negative

Solution

Mechanical Advantage is $\text{Load} / \text{Effort} = 2 / 10 = 0.2$. In Class III levers, the effort is closer to the fulcrum than the load, so MA is always less than 1.

Asked in: Homi Bhabha Practice

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