Mechanical Advantage Calculations & Gear Systems is one of 9 topics in the Grade 8 Technology CAPS syllabus, covered across 3 lessons on Study Vault. Below are real practice questions from this topic with full worked answers.
Sample practice questions
Easy
1. What does a mechanical advantage greater than 1 mean for a lever?
The lever is helping you, needing less effort than the load being lifted
The lever makes the job harder than lifting the load directly
The lever has no effect on the effort needed at all
The lever can only be used to lift objects lighter than 1 kg
Answer: The lever is helping you, needing less effort than the load being lifted — A mechanical advantage greater than 1 means the machine is helping you, requiring less effort than the load being lifted.
Easy
2. What is the EFFORT ARM of a lever?
The distance from the pivot (fulcrum) to where you apply your effort
The distance from the pivot to the load
The total length of the entire lever
The weight of the load being lifted
Answer: The distance from the pivot (fulcrum) to where you apply your effort — The effort arm is the distance from the pivot (fulcrum) to where you apply your effort, as distinct from the load arm.
Medium
3. A lever has an effort arm of 80 cm and a load arm of 20 cm. Calculate its mechanical advantage (effort arm / load arm), as a whole number.
Answer: 4 — Mechanical advantage = effort arm / load arm = 80 cm / 20 cm = 4.
