A clerk can lift cylindrical packages 1 meter vertically, or can roll them up a 2-meter-long ramp to the same elevation. With the ramp, the applied force required is about

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When the package is lifted vertically, the clerk has to exert a force equal to the weight of the package. However, when the package is rolled up the ramp, the force required is less because the force applied is distributed over a longer distance. Using simple trigonometry, we can find that the ramp makes an angle of approximately 30 degrees with the ground. This means that the force required to roll the package up the ramp is only half of the weight of the package. Therefore, the answer is A, half as much.

A Clerk Can Lift Cylindrical Packages 1 Meter Vertically, or Can