A group of students were setting up their school auditorium for a rock concert to be held over the weekend.
The students used a ramp to get one of the large speakers onto the stage. The students know that Work = Force x Distance. Which of the following BEST explains the advantage of using the ramp instead of lifting the speaker onto the stage?
a
The mass of the speaker is reduced by using the ramp.
b
The amount of work done is decreased by using the ramp.
c
More energy is created by using the ramp
d
Less force is required by using the ramp.
The correct answer is d) Less force is required by using the ramp.
By using a ramp to move the speaker onto the stage, the students can take advantage of the inclined plane to reduce the amount of force required to move the speaker. The ramp allows them to exert their force more efficiently by spreading it out over a longer distance. As a result, less force is needed to move the speaker compared to lifting it directly onto the stage.