Question

To open a soda, a force of 55N (newtons) is applied to the bottle opener. If the bottle opener applies a force of 675N to the cap, what is the mechanical advantage of the bottle opener? I find MA confusing. Please explain to me how to do this.

Answer 1

Mechanical advantage refers to how much an applied force is amplified by a tool of some sort. In this case, you only put 55 N of force in, but through the bottle opener this force is amplified to 675 N. The bottle opener is essentially a lever, so you can use the Law of the Lever to calculate the MA:

\[MA=\frac{F_{output}}{F_{input}}\]