Inclined Plane Investigation - OL
Purpose: This lab is to allow you to investigate inclined planes and find the following for different setups of the inclined
planes.



Work
IMA
AMA
In each part of this lab, you will be lifting your brick to a height of 14.5 cm (.145m) (scale).
MATERIALS: spring scales, brick (represents your coater car), inclined planes of various lengths
Procedure:
1. Calculate the amount of work needed to dead-lift your brick to a height of .145 m
a. Record the dead lift Force: ____________________________ (This is how much force it would take to lift it
straight up .145m.) (It is also the same as the weight of the object in Newtons)
b. Calculate the work done. Work= (Force)(Distance) (Distance must be in meters (m) for the calculation.)
2. INCLINED PLANE #1 Length of ramp = 50 cm (.5m)
a. Prop it up so that one end is .145m off the floor
b. Calculate the Ideal Mechanical Advantage of this inclined plane.
IMA=
𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ
ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
(both must use the same units)
c. Use your spring scale to pull the brick up the ramp. Record the input force (scale reading)
d. Calculate the Actual Mechanical Advantage
𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 (𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡)
AMA = 𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 (𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔)
Did you notice that the IMA and the AMA were not the same?
Why are they different?
e. Calculate the work done pulling the brick up the ramp.
Work = force (scale reading) X distance (distance pulled up ramp)
f. Did it take more or less force to pull it up the ramp than to dead lift it?
3. Inclined Plane #2: Length of ramp = 75 cm (.75m)
a. Prop it up so that one end is .145m off the floor
b. Calculate the Ideal Mechanical Advantage of this inclined plane.
𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ
IMA= ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 (both must use the same units)
c. Use your spring scale to pull the brick up the ramp. Record the input force (scale reading)
d. Calculate the Actual Mechanical Advantage
𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 (𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡)
AMA = 𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 (𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔)
Did you notice that the IMA and the AMA were not the same?
Why are they different?
e. Calculate the work done pulling the brick up the ramp.
Work = force (scale reading) X distance (distance pulled up ramp)
f. Did it take more or less force to pull it up the ramp than to dead lift it?
4. INCLINED PLANE #3 Length of ramp = 100 cm (1m)
a. Prop it up so that one end is .145m off the
b. Calculate the Ideal Mechanical Advantage of this inclined plane.
IMA=
𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ
ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
(both must use the same units)
c. Use your spring scale to pull the brick up the ramp. Record the input force (scale reading)
d. Calculate the Actual Mechanical Advantage
𝑂𝑢𝑡𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 (𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡)
AMA = 𝐼𝑛𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 (𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔)
Did you notice that the IMA and the AMA were not the same?
Why are they different?
e. Calculate the work done pulling the brick up the ramp.
Work = force (scale reading) X distance (distance pulled up ramp)
f. Did it take more or less force to pull it up the ramp than to dead lift it?
ANAYLSIS:
1. Which ramp (inclined plane) required the LEAST amount of force to use?
2. What happens to the force required to pull the brick as the length of the ramp is increased?
2. Since simple machines are designed to make work easier, there is always a tradeoff. If the machine requires less
input force, then there must be a tradeoff for this. What is the tradeoff when using an inclined plane (ramp)?
3. What are the advantages of using an inclined plane to move the brick to a height of .145m?
4. What are the disadvantages of using an inclined plane to move the brick to a height of .145m?
5. Can any of the ramps be used if the maximum force allowed was 4N? If yes, which one/s?