Question

John wants to use a ramp to move boxes into a truck bed that is 3 m high. He has a choice of 2 different ramps. The length of the ramps is 4m, or 6m.

A. 4m, because he has to do the same work but over a shorter distance.
B. 6m, because he can do more work over a longer distance.
C. 4m, because he has to do less work due to the short distance.
D. 6m, because he has to apply less force over a longer distance.

Answer 1

John should choose the 4m ramp because he has to do less work due to the short distance.

Step-by-step explanation:

To determine whether John should choose the 4m or 6m ramp, we need to consider the work done. Work is defined as the force applied to an object multiplied by the distance over which the force is applied. In this case, the force is the weight of the box and the distance is the height of the truck bed.

The work done is given by the equation:

Work = Force x Distance

Since we are comparing the two ramps, we can calculate the work done using both ramps and compare the results.

Work on the 4m ramp = Weight of the box x 4m

Work on the 6m ramp = Weight of the box x 6m

Comparing the two equations, we can see that the work done on the 4m ramp is smaller than the work done on the 6m ramp.

Therefore, John should choose the 4m ramp because he has to do less work due to the short distance.