Question

The force F needed to loosen a bolt with a wrench varies inversely with the lenth I of the handle. Write an

equation relating Fand I given that 250 pounds of force must be exerted to loosen a bolt when using a wrench
with a handle 6 inches long. How many pounds of force must be exerted when using a wrench with a handle 24
inches long? Round to 1 decimal place.
F =
pounds of force

Answer 1

Explanation:

We first need to determine what the model is for this situation. Using the inverse proportion equation, which is

`F=(k)/(l)`, we can find that model using the information given.

We first need to solve for k, the constant of proportionality. Using F = 250 and l = 6,

`250=(k)/(6)` and

multiply both sides by 6 to get that

k = 1500

Now we use that k value along with l = 24 to solve for the force needed:

`F=(1500)/(24)` so

F = 62.5 pounds