A 15,000-N car on a hydraulic lift rests on a cylinder with a piston of radius 0.20 m.If a connecting cylinder with a piston of 0.050-m radius is driven by compressed air,what force must be applied to this smaller piston in order to lift the car?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the principle of fluid pressure, we can set up the equation:
force on small piston / area of small piston = force on large piston / area of large piston
Let F be the force on the small piston.
Then, we have:
F / (π (0.050)^2) = 15,000 / (π (0.20)^2)
Solving for F, we get:
F = (15,000 x (0.050)^2 x π) / (0.20)^2
F ≈ 939.5 N, which rounds to 940 N.

A 15,000-N Car on a Hydraulic Lift Rests on a Cylinder