Final answer:
A wire cutter's IMA is calculated by dividing the handle grip distance by the wire position distance from the pivot. With a grip at 10 cm and a wire at 2 cm from the pivot, the IMA is 5 for this complex machine.
Step-by-step explanation:
An electrician uses a wire cutter to prepare control and signal wires for termination. The overall IMA (Ideal Mechanical Advantage) of a wire cutter can be calculated by dividing the distance from the pivot to where the handles are gripped by the distance from the pivot to where the wire is placed between the jaws. In the given problem, an electrician grips the handles at 10 cm from the pivot, and the wire is placed 2 cm from the pivot. Given that the cutter blades are 2 cm wide and 0.3 cm thick, we can calculate the IMA by dividing 10 cm (gripping distance) by 2 cm (cutting distance), which gives an overall IMA of 5 for this complex machine.