Question

A team of furniture movers wishes to load a truck using a ramp from the ground to the rear of the truck. One of the movers claims that less work would be required to load the truck if the length of the ramp were increased, reducing the angle with respect to the horizontal. Is his claim valid? Explain.

Answer 1

Yes, his claim is valid

Step-by-step explanation:

mechanical advantage of an inclined plane = IMA = L/h

By lengthening L, you increase the IMA.

Also, IMA = Output force / Input force

Input force is less on a "shallow" inclined plane. Work = Fd, so if F is lower, Work is lower. The height (d) doesn't change, just the length of the ramp and the angle of the ramp.