What is the mechanical advantage of a machine with a 6" primary pulley and an 18" secondary pulley?

The mechanical advantage of a machine, especially in the context of pulleys, is determined by the ratio of the diameters of the pulleys involved in the system. In this case, you have a primary pulley with a diameter of 6 inches and a secondary pulley with a diameter of 18 inches.

To calculate the mechanical advantage, you take the diameter of the secondary pulley and divide it by the diameter of the primary pulley. Therefore, you would perform the following calculation:

Mechanical Advantage = Diameter of Secondary Pulley / Diameter of Primary Pulley

Mechanical Advantage = 18 inches / 6 inches = 3

This ratio can be expressed as "3 to 1," indicating that for every one unit of effort applied, the machine provides three units of load lifting capability.

This understanding of mechanical advantage helps to assess how effectively a machine can multiply force, making it crucial for tasks that require the lifting or moving of heavy loads.

In this scenario, "3 to 1" accurately represents the relationship derived from the calculation of pulleys and reflects the system's ability to reduce the effort needed to lift a load.