A construction worker needs to lift a heavy metal beam using a lever but has a limited length of plank. Which adjustment would allow the worker to lift the beam with the least effort if the position of the fulcrum can be changed but the plank length remains constant?
Move the fulcrum closer to the beam
For a first-class lever: Mechanical Advantage (MA) = Effort arm / Load arm.
With the plank length fixed, moving the fulcrum closer to the beam (load) shortens the load arm and lengthens the effort arm, thereby increasing the MA.
A higher MA means the same effort lifts a heavier load — or the same load requires less effort. This is why a crowbar is positioned with its fulcrum as close to the object being pried as possible.
Moving the fulcrum closer to the worker (option 2) would do the opposite: shorten the effort arm, reduce MA, and require more effort.
Similar Questions
Which of the following best describes the velocity-time graph for an object moving with uniform velocity?
A construction worker needs to lift a heavy metal beam using a lever but has a limited length of plank. Which adjustment would allow the worker to lift the beam with the least effort if the position of the fulcrum can be changed but the plank length remains constant?
Which experimental discovery contradicted Thomson's model of the atom and led to its rejection?
A student pushes a heavy box that is already moving across a rough floor. If the force applied by the student is exactly equal to the frictional force opposing the motion, what will happen to the box?
Which of the following best describes how sound travels through air?
Which of the following statements best describes the behavior of magnetic field lines around a straight current-carrying conductor?
A factory plans to install a powerful electromagnet for lifting metal scraps. To maximize the magnetic field strength around the coil, which of the following combinations would be most effective?
Which of the following statements best describes the behavior of magnetic field lines around a straight current-carrying conductor?
A construction worker needs to lift a heavy metal beam using a lever but has a limited length of plank. Which adjustment would allow the worker to lift the beam with the least effort if the position of the fulcrum can be changed but the plank length remains constant?
A student pushes a heavy box that is already moving across a rough floor. If the force applied by the student is exactly equal to the frictional force opposing the motion, what will happen to the box?
Important Questions from Physics
What is the colour of the light emitted by the Sun?
Lightning occur in the sky when two clouds:
With reference to street-lighting, how do sodium lamps differ from LED lamps?
1. Sodium lamps produce light in 360 degrees but it is not so in the case of LED lamps.
2. As street lights, sodium lamps have a longer life span than LED lamps.
3. The spectrum of visible light from sodium lamps is almost monochromatic while LED lamps offer significant colour advantages in street lighting.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Which one of the following is a reason why astronomical distances are measured in light-years?
In a pressure cooker, the temperature at which the food is cooked depends mainly upon which of the following?
1. Area of the hole in the lid
2. Temperature of the flame
3. Weight of the lid
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
