Final answer:
Pruning shears and loppers offer a mechanical advantage by operating as levers, where the handles act as the effort arm and the blades as the resistance arm, amplifying the applied force for cutting.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pruning shears and loppers provide a mechanical advantage because they operate based on the principles of levers, which are a type of simple machine. The handles of these tools are analogous to the effort arm, and the cutting blades correspond to the resistance arm. According to the principles of levers, the ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) equals the length of the effort arm divided by the length of the resistance arm.
In practice, when you exert force at the handle end, the effort force is multiplied over a shorter resistance arm, thus exerting a larger force on the branch being cut or pruned. This is why you can cut through thick branches with less effort than would be required if you used your hands alone. The mechanical advantage of pruning shears and loppers makes garden work much easier by increasing the force applied at the cutting end.
Energy conservation is still maintained since while the force is amplified, the distance over which the force must be applied is reduced, reflecting the trade-off that comes with using any simple machine.