Question

After twisting the wire ligature the "pigtail" should be cut to a length of approximately:

Answer 1

The Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) of the wire cutter, given the distances from the pivot point to the handles and jaws, is calculated to be 5.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question appears to relate to the mechanical advantage (IMA) of a complex machine, specifically a wire cutter. Mechanical advantage is the factor by which a machine multiplies the force put into it. For wire cutters and similar tools, the ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) is the ratio of the distance from the pivot point to where the force is applied (the handle) over the distance from the pivot point to where the force is exerted (the jaws).

Using the information provided, the distance from the pivot to the handles is 10 cm, and the distance from the pivot to the jaws is 2 cm. To find the mechanical advantage, you divide the longer distance by the shorter distance.

IMA = Distance from pivot to handles / Distance from pivot to jaws
IMA = 10 cm / 2 cm
IMA = 5

Therefore, the overall Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) of this wire cutter is 5.