Question

The mechanical advantage of a broomstick is __________.

• A. always equal to one.
• B. always less than one.
• C. always greater than one.
• D. dependent on where it is held.

Answer 1

The correct option is B

always less than one.

Mechanical advantage:

1. The ratio of load to effort is called the mechanical advantage (M.A).
2. $Mechanicaladvantage(M.A)=\frac{load}{effort}$

Broomstick.

1. Broom stick is a third order lever.
2. In this type of lever, the effort lies between the fulcrum and the load.
3. In third order levers mechanical load is always less than one.

The mechanical advantage of a broomstick is always less than one:

1. In a broom stick, the handle of the broom at the top is the fulcrum, we push the handle from somewhere in the middle, that is the input effort and the bristles at the end of the broomstick sweep dust from the floor, that is the output load.
2. In these types of levers, the effort is in between the fulcrum and the load and so the effort arm is always smaller than the load arm.
3. Therefore $M.A<1$.

Thus, mechanical advantage of a broomstick is always less than one.

Hence, the option B is the right answer.