Final answer:
A type of lever that minimizes mechanical advantage has a longer resistance arm than effort arm, resulting in an IMA of less than one. This requires more effort to move the resistance, thus reducing the mechanical advantage provided by the lever.
Step-by-step explanation:
A type of lever that minimizes mechanical advantage is one where the length of the resistance arm (Lr) is longer than the length of the effort arm (Le). The ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) is calculated by dividing the length of the effort arm by the length of the resistance arm. If this ratio is less than one (<1), the mechanical advantage is minimized, meaning you would have to apply a larger effort to move the resistance.
According to the second condition of equilibrium, the torques for a system in equilibrium must be equal. However, it is possible to increase the force exerted by a lever by decreasing the length of the arm where the existing force is applied. This decrease in the lever arm length relative to the force results in a lower mechanical advantage.
The pry bar example illustrates how levers can vary in their mechanical advantage. A short effort arm with a long resistance arm means that while you may move the resistance a short distance with a larger force, the machine does not multiply your effort as much as it would if the effort arm were longer.