Hydraulic lift and Pascal's principle
A hydraulic lift has an input piston of area 0.01 m² and an output piston of area 0.5 m². A 100 N force on the input piston produces what force at the output?
Answer D: explanation for every choice
A
This inverts the area ratio.
B
This assumes no force multiplication.
C
This is off by a factor of 10.
D
Correct. Pressure is the same on both pistons: F₂ = F₁(A₂/A₁) = 100 × (0.5/0.01) = 5000 N.
TakeawayPascal's principle: equal pressure, so F₂ = F₁(A₂/A₁). Work is not multiplied.
Equation usedPressure and Pascal's principle
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