Question

A hydraulic lift is used to lift a car that weighs 1400 kg. The foot pedal is attached to a piston that has an area of 60 cm². This is attached to a lift with a large piston with an area of 4000 cm². What force needs to be applied to the small piston in order to lift the car?

A) 23.33 N
B) 933.33 N
C) 1400 N
D) 56000 N

Answer 1

The force on the small piston is given by 933.33 N. Option B

A hydraulic lift is a device that transfers force and raises heavy objects using a liquid, typically one that is based on water or oil. It functions according to Pascal's Law, which states that any pressure change applied to a fluid that is enclosed transfers the same force to all of the fluid's constituent parts as well as the walls of the container.

The force on the small piston = 1400 kg * 10 m/
`s^2`

= 14000 N

Then we have that;

F1/A1 = F2/A2

F1A2 = F2A1

A1 = F1A2/ F2

A1 = 14000 * 4000/60

= 933.33 N