Question

James applies force at one end of a hydraulic jack. The area at the other end of the jack is five times the area where James is applying the force. How much larger is the exerted force than what James is applying?

a.)twice as large
b.)half as large
c.)one-fifth as large
d.)five times as large

Answer 1

The exerted force in a hydraulic jack is five times larger than the force applied when the area at the other end of the jack is five times the area where the force is applied.

Step-by-step explanation:

In a hydraulic jack, the force exerted is larger than the force applied. The ratio of the area at the other end of the jack to the area where the force is applied determines how much larger the exerted force is. In this case, the area at the other end is five times the area where James is applying the force. Since force is directly proportional to area, the exerted force will also be five times larger than the force applied. Therefore, the correct answer is d.) five times as large.