Simple Machines

PHYSICS
BOOKS - PEARSON IIT JEE

FOUNDATION
SIMPLE MACHINES
Example
1. Two like parallel forces acting on a rod, 15 N
and 5 N are separated by a distance of 4 m.

What is the magnitude, direction and point of
application of the resultant?
Watch Video Solution
2. Find the magnitude, direction and position
of the resultant, if the forces in the above

problem are unlike ?
3. Consider a machine whose mechanical
advantage is 5. It raises a load of 25 N.
Calculate the minimum effort that has to be
applied to it.
A. 5 N
B. 10 N
C. 20 N
D. 25 N
Answer: A
4. The load arm and effort arm of a lever are 10
cm and 50 cm, respetively. The load and effort
are applied on the opposite sides of the

fulcrum. Identify the class of the lever. Find its
mechanical advantage. If the effort applied is
10 N, how much load can be raised by it?
5. To lift a piece of burning coal of mass 200 g,
a cook uses a fire tong of length 30 cm. He
applies the effort at a distance of 10 cm from
its fulcrum. Find the effort applied by the cook.
−2
(g = 10ms )

6. Length of a nut cracker is 25 cm. A nut is
kept 8 cm away from the fulcrum and an effort
of 32 N is applied at the other end of the nut
cracker. Calculate the resistance offered by the
nut?
7. A plank of length 4 m is inclined to the
ground such that its one end is resting on the
ground and the other end is 1 m above ground

level. Calculate the effort that has to be
applied to push a load of 48 N up the plank.
8. A force of 8 N is applied to a body at a
distance of 20 cm from the point at which it is
pivoted. Calculate the torque or moment of
force about the pivot.

9. When a force of 10 N is applied about the
axis of rotation of a body , it produces a
torque of 5 N m. Find the distance of the point
of application of the force from the axis of
rotation.
10. A mechanic unscrews a nut by applying a
force of 120 N on a spanner of length 40 cm.

What should be the required length of the
spanner in order to apply only 40 N force ?
11. A heavy metallic scale of length 1 m has its
centre of gravity at 50 cm division. It is
suspended at a 30 cm mark. A load of 60gwt
has to be tied at its zero cm make to keep it in
equilibrium. Calculate the weight of the scale.

12. A uniform metre scale 1 m long is
suspended at 50 cm division. A known weight
of 160 gwt is tied at 80 cm division and the
scale is balanced by a weight of 240 gwt tied
to the scale at a certain distance from the
point of suspension on the opposite side.
Calculate this distance.
13. A car has a steering wheel of diameter to
cm. It is turned with anti-parallel forces of a

magnitude of 4 N each. Calculate the moment
of couple.
14. In a Roman steelyard, the weight of the
rider is 25 dyne. When an unknown load is
attached 5 cm from the point of suspension,
the rider had to be moved by 35 cm. Calculate
the unknown load

15. In a wheel and axle, for one complete
rotation the magnitude of displacement of
effort is 5 times that of the load. What load
can be lifted by applying an effort of 10 N? If
the radius of the wheel is 35 cm, what is the
radius of the axle?
16. The pitch of a screw in a screw jack A is half
that of another screw jack B. for 10 complete
rotations of the lever, which one of the jack

will lift a car more higher? Which one need
more effort to do an equal work if both the
jacks have livers of equal length?
Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. State the principle of moments.

2. Give one example of each the three types of
levers.
3. What is the reason for providing a handle to
a hand flour grinder at its rim?
4. Define a lever.
5. What are the factors that help in
determining the weight of an object, when
measured using a Roman steelyard?
6. A nut cracker is a ________ order lever.

7. What is the M.A. of an inclined plane equal
to ?
8. Define a simple machine.
9. Define fulcrum, load arm and effort arm of a
lever.
10. What is the principle used in wheel and
axle? Mention its applications.
11. What are the types of simple machine?

12. Torque is a __________ quantity.
13. What is the process of introducing vector
into the target bacterial cell known as ?
14. Define parallel forces.

15. Mention the three types of levers.
16. In a screw jack, the work done by an effort
is always ________ that done on its load.
17. Define parallel forces.

18. What is the principle used in the working of
a screw jack?
19. The efficiency of a machine is 50% . If 300 J
of energy is given to the machine, its output is
________.

20. What is a torque? Mention its C.G.S and S.I.
unit.
21. What are the M.A. of the three types of
levers?

22. How can the mechanical advantage of a
screw jack be increased?
23. Explain why a door cannot be opened when
force is applied at the hinges.

24. What is the need of along handle for a
spanner?
25. What is a torque? Mention its C.G.S and S.I.
unit.
26. _______ can transmit motion and power.

27. When is a body said to be in equilibrium?
28. What is an inclined plane?
29. What are gears and where are they used?

30. When can a beam balance have static
equilibrium?
Short Answer Type Questions
1. What are the conditions for factors needed
for producing a turning effect on a body?

2. Mechanical advantage
3. Give the properties of moment of a couple.
4. Why do we use simple machines?

5. Explain how a couple can produce only
rotation.
6. Why do we use simple machines?

7. A sloping plank is used to push goods onto
a truck. Its length is 3 m and the end which
touches the truck is at a height of 1.5 m.
Calculate its M.A. If the effort applied is 25 N,
what load can be pushed into the truck?

9. Compare like and unlike parallel forces.
10. Length of a crowbar is 150 cm. Its fulcrum is
at a distance of 30 cm from the load. What is
its mechanical advantage.

11. Explain the basis on which levers are
classified.
12. Give the advantages of gears.
13. What are the M.A. of the three types of
levers?
Essay Type Questions
1. What are like and unlike parallel forces?
State their characteristics.
2. Describe an inclined plane and obtain an
expression for its mechanical advantage.

3. Pulley and wheel and axle
Concept Application Level 1
1. A gear may be used to

3. A wheel and axle can be treated as a
modified form of a first order lever.
View Text Solution
4. Moment of force is the product of the force
applied on a body and the perpendicular

distance between parallel forces, producing
5. The length of the effort arm is greater than
that of the load arm in a second-order lever.
6. Roman steelyard works on the principle of
____________.

7. A pair of scissors is an example of ______
order lever.
8. ________ is the modified form of an inclined
plane.
View Text Solution

9. Statements: Some gears are wheels
All wheels are brakes
Conclusions: I. No brake is gear
II. Atlest some gears are brakers.
10. To balance a uniform metre scale
suspended at 50 cm mark, a with 200 g weight
suspended from it at 20 cm mark, a weight of
_________ g must be suspended at 90 cm mark.

View Text Solution
11. A road on a hill is an example of ______ .
12. The resultant of two like parallel forces 5 N
and 10 N is _______ N.

13.
View Text Solution

14. A gear may be used to
A. increase the speed of rotation.
B. increase the torque
C. Both (a) and (b)
D. Neither (a) nor (b)
Answer: C

15. If the number of teeth in the driven gear of
a vehicle is less than that in its driving gear,
the vehicle gains ________.
A. speed
B. momentum
C. Both (a) and (b)
D. None of the above
Answer: C
View Text Solution

16. A simple machine
A. acts as a force multiplier
B. acts as a speed multiplier
C. helps to change the direction of
application of effort
D. All the above
Answer: D
View Text Solution

17. The efficiency of a rough inclined plane is
90%. The energy spent in raising a load of 225
N through 2 m is
A. 750 N
B. 500 J
C. 850 J
D. 900 J
Answer: B

18. In a Roman steel yard, the distance of the
rider from its zero mark is proportional to the
A. weight of the load.
B. distance of the position of centre of
gravity of the steel rod from the fulcrum.
C. distance of point of suspension of the
load from the fulcrum.
D. All the above
Answer: A
View Text Solution
19. The work done in sliding a wooden box of
mass 5 kg along a friction less inclined plane
of inclination 30
∘
and length 10 m is ______J.
−2
(g = 10ms )
A. 500
B. 250
C. 125
D. 1500
Answer: B
20. A rod is free to rotate about its mid point.
If the clockwise moments of 17 N m and 25 N
m, respectively, are acting at the two ends of
the rod, then the net moment acting on the
rod is
A. 42 N m , anti-clockwise
B. 42 N m, clockwise
C. 8 N m, anti-clockwise
D. 8 N m, clockwise
Answer: B
21. Pulley is the most commonly used simple
machine to draw water from a well since
(A) its mechanical advantage is greater than
one
(B) it changes the direction of application of
effort and makes it convenient to draw water
View Text Solution
22. The ratio of load to displacement of the
rider from its zero mark in a Roman steel yard
is 20 gf:1 cm. If the rider is displaced by 20 cm
from its zero mark, the load attached to the
steel yard is ________.
A. 40 gf
B. 4 kg
C. 400 gf
D. 0.04 kgf
Answer: C
View Text Solution
23. When the handle of a screwjack is rotated
8 times, the load is raised by 10 cm. If the
length of the handle is 0.5 m, the M.A is

A. 40π
B. 20π
C. 120π
D. 80π
Answer: D
View Text Solution
24. M.A. is always greater than 1 in
A. I class levers
B. II class levers
C. III class levers
D. All the above
Answer: B
25. The length of an inclined plane is halved
and the angle of inclination is changed from
30
∘
to 60
∘
. If the work done in pulling a load
up the first inclined plane is 'w', then the work

done in pulling the same load up the second
inclined plane is
A. 2w
√3w
B.
2
w
C.
2
2w
D.
√3
Answer: B
View Text Solution

26. The radii of the axle and the wheel are
increased by 3 times and 5 times, respectively.
The new M.A. advantage of the wheel and axle
is
5
A. times the initial M.A
3
3
B. times the initial M.A.
2
25
C. times the initial MA
9
9
D. times the initial M.A.
4
Answer: B
27. Two unlike parallel forces 2 N and 16 N act
at the ends of a uniform rod of 21 cm length .
The point where the resultant of these two act
is at a distance of _________ cm from the greater
force.
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Answer: C
28. A wheel and axle with radii 20 cm and 5 cm,
respectively, can be considered as
A. a second-order lever with its M.A. > 1
B. a third-order lever with its M.A. < 1
C. a first-order lever with its M.A. > 1
D. a first-order lever with its M.A. < 1

Answer: C
29. Two equal forces, F = 30 N act opposite to
each other, at points A and B. The distances
between various points is as follows.
AO=20cm, OB=50 cm and OC = OD = 25 cm
The body is free to rotate about 'O', in the
plane of the paper.

The moment of couple and the moment of the
force about 'O' in N m are
A. 21 and 21
B. 21 and 9
C. 31 and 4
D. None of the these

Answer: A
plane of the paper.

If the direction of the force at A is reversed,
keeping the direction of the force at B
unchanged, the moment of the force about 'O'
in N m is
A. 15
B. 6
C. 21
D. 9
Answer: D
plane of the paper.

The moment of couple and the moment of the
force about 'O' in N m are
A. 21
B. 0
C. 9
D. 6
Answer: B
32. Which of the following physical quantities
would complete the analogy given below.
Linear motion: force: rotational motion: ______
A. work
B. momentum
C. torque
D. angular acceleration
Answer: C
33. An effort of 35 N is applied on a machine
having mechanical advantage 6. The load that
is lifted using the effort is ______ N.
A. 210
B. 41
C. 6
D. 29
Answer: A
34. In a simple machine, the load is displaced
by 3 cm corresponding to a displacement of
the effort by 300 mm. The velocity ratio of the
machine is _______ .
A. 10
B. 270
C. 330
D. 900
Answer: A
35. The efficiency of a machine is 50% . If 300 J
of energy is given to the machine, its output is
________.
A. 150 erg
B. 350 J
C. 250 J
D. 150 J
Answer: D
36. Which of the following is not true about
simple machines? They
A. save energy.
B. can change the direction of the effort.

C. can be used to overcome large force.
D. gain velocity.
Answer: A
37. The resultant of two like parallel forces 5 N
and 10 N is _______ N.
A. 10
B. 5
C. 15
D. 50
Answer: C
38. In a second-order lever, if the length of the
load arm is 5 cm, the length of its effort arm
cannot be _______.
A. 4 cm
B. 6 cm
C. 10 cm
D. 20 cm
Answer: A
39. Roman Numerals
A. no load is placed on the hook.
B. the rider is at the zero of the scale.

C. Both (a) and (b)
D. The beam of a Roman steelyard can
never be horizontal.
Answer: C
40. If the radius of a steering wheel is
increased to four times its original value, then
the moment of couple acting on the steering
wheel for the given forces

A. increase four times.
B. decreases two times.
C. increases eight times.
D. increases sixteen times.
Answer: C
41. By increasing the angle of inclination, the
M.A. of an inclined plane

A. decreases.
B. increases.
C. remains the same.
D. depends on the load to be raised.
Answer: A
42. The ratio of load to displacement of the
rider from its zero mark in a Roman steel yard
is 20 gf:1 cm. If the rider is displaced by 20 cm

from its zero mark, the load attached to the
steel yard is ________.
A. 40 gf
B. 4 kgf
C. 400 gf
D. 0.04 kgf
Answer: C

43. If the angle of inclination of an inclined
plane of 30
∘
, its mechanical advantage is
______
A. 30
B. 43467
C. 2
D. None of the three
Answer: C

44. An effort of 350 N is applied on an inclined
plane having mechanical advantage 6. The
load that is lifted using the effort is ________ N.
A. 2100
B. 410
C. 600
D. 329
Answer: A

Level 2
1. A uniform metre scale of weight 20 gf is
supported on a wedge placed at 60 cm mark. If
a weight of 30 gf is suspended at 15 cm mark,
where should a weight 200 gf be suspended in
order to balance the metre scale?
2. The efficiency of a simple machine having
mechanical advantage 5 is 80% . If the

displacement of the effort in lifting a load by
using the machine is 20 cm, find the
displacement of the load.
3.
Two wheel and axle systems P and Q are
connected as shown in the figure. The radii of

wheels and axles of P and Q are 20 cm, 27 cm,
3 cm and 5 cm, respectively. If L = 540 kgwt,
find E.

4.
The pitch of the screw in a screw jack shown in
the figure is 5 cm and the diameter of the
head of its vertical shaft is 30 cm. If the length

of the rod PQ fixed to the shaft is 55 cm, find
the effort required to raise a load of 10.56
quintal using the jack. (Take 1 quintal = 100
kgwt)
5. On what principle does a bicycle work ?
What is the mechanical advantage of a
bicycle? Determine the velocity ratio of a
bicycle in which the ratio of teeth on the rear

sprocket wheel to that on the front wheel is 1:
3.
6.
The maximum force than can be borne by the
nut placed in a cracker (shown in the figure) is
200 N. The length of the cracker is 20 cm and
the nut is placed at a distance of 15 cm from

the free end of the cracker. If a boy can apply a
maximum force of 25 N, find whether he can
crack the nut. If not, find the length of the
extension rod that should be attached to the
cracker handle so that the boy can crack the
nut.
7. An inclined plane of length 2 m is used to
load Maruti cars into a carrier truck. If the
body of the truck is at a height of 1 m from the

ground, find the effort required to load a car
using the inclined plane. The unladen weight
of a Maruti car is 600 kgwt (Take g = 10ms

−2
)
8. Why do we use the first gear to start a car
or scooter at rest ? What would happen if we
started a car/scooter in a higher gear?

9. To push open a door, a person applies a
force of 75 N on the handle of the door, at an
angle of 60
∘
from the normal to its plane. If
the handle is located at a distance of 80 cm
from its hinge, find the torque applied by him.
10. The number of teeth in the crank wheel
and free wheel of a bicycle, connected by a
chain are 48 and 24, respectively. Their

diameters are 20 cm and 10 cm, respectively.
The radius of the rear wheel to which the free
wheel is fixed coaxially is 10 times that of the
free wheel. If a cyclist pedals the bicycle at two
rotations per second, find the speed of the
cyclist.
View Text Solution
11. Can a single force applied to a body change
both its translational and rotational motion?
Explain.
12. Find the ratio of the effort required to raise
a given load to a certain height, when the
angle of inclination of a plank is changed from
60
∘
to 45
∘
. Also find the lengths of the plank
in the two cases given the load has to be
raised to a height of 5 m.

13. How can we obtain the resting point-
indicating equilibrium, even with unequal
masses in the two pans of a physical balance?
14. Each of the two guns, mounted on a
rotating platform with their lengths parallel to
each other, fires 20 bullets per second at a
speed of 50 m s
−1
. If the perpendicular
distance between the two guns is 1.2 m and

the mass of each bullet is 25g, find the couple
acting on the platform.
15. The effort measured in S.I. system in lifting
a load through a simple machine is
numerically equal to its mechanical advantage.
If the mechanical advantage of the machine is
increased by 20%, the same effort can lift a
load of 12 kgwt. Find the magnitudes of the

effort and the original load. (Take
g = 10ms
−2
)
16. Why in hand driven grinding machine,
handle is put near the circumference of the
stone or wheel?

17. To produce a couple of 20 N m on a disc of
radius 10 cm, what is the force to be applied.
18. A ladder is kept at rest with is upper end
against a wall and the lower end on the
ground. The ladder is more like to slip when a
mass stands on it at the top than at the
bottom. Why ?

19. A uniform metallic rod PQ of length 2 m is
acted upon by two forces A and B along the
directions as shown in the figure. Find the
magnitude and position of the resultant
normal force that acts on the rod.

20. A uniform metallic rod AB of length 1.4 m is
lifted by two forces P and Q acting along the
directions as shown in the figure. If the
magnitudes of P and Q are 20 N and 50 N,
respectively, find the magnitude and the
position of the resultant normal force that
acts on the rod.

21. The effort measured in S.I. system in lifting
a load through a simple machine is
numerically equal to its mechanical advantage.
If the mechanical advantage of the machine is
increased by 20%, the same effort can lift a
load of 12 kgwt. Find the magnitudes of the
effort and the original load. (Take
g = 10ms
−2
)

22. Find the ratio of efforts required to raise a
given load, when the angle of inclination of a
given plank is changed from 60

∘
to 30
∘
. Also
find the percentage change in the mechanical
advantage.
23. A man uses a rough inclined plane of
length 3 m to raise a load of 100 kgwt. If he
does 2400 J of work and the inclined plane

offers 300 N resistance, find the mechanical
advantage (Take g = 10ms

−2
).
24. In an arrangement of two wheel and axle
systems, the radii of wheels are 20 cm and 15
cm and the radii of axle are 4 cm and 3 cm.
Calculate E if L = 540 kg.

View Text Solution
25. The pitch of a screw in a screw jack A is half
that of another screw jack B. for 5 complete
rotations of the lever, which one of the jack
will lift a car more higher? Which one need
more effort to do an equal work if both the
jacks have livers of equal length.
Level 3
1. A scooter or a motor-cycle is a compound
machine made up of several simple machines.
Study the following parts of a scooter/motor
cycle and identify the simple machines
involved in them.
(i) Clutch levers (ii) Throttle
(iii) Front brake lever (iv) Rear brake pedal
(v) Stand (vi) Rear view mirror
(vii) Wheels (viii) Chain drive
A person weighing 50 kg, moves on a scooter
of 100 kg at a speed of 36 km h −1
and applies
brakes to stop within a distance of 10m. If the

mechanical advantage of the brake system
(comprising brake drum, lever, etc.) is 3

10 , find
the force with which the person should press
the foot pedal to stop the vehicle.
View Text Solution
2. How can a spring balance and a rigid rod be
used to weigh objects beyond the maximum
reading of the balance? Explain

3.
A balance similar to Roman steelyard is down
in the figure. G is the position of centre of
gravity in the figure . G is the position of
centre of gravity of the beam. Given OG=3 cm,
OH =4 cm and OP =5 cm . If the weight of the
rider is 60 gf, find the weight of the beam,
least count of the balance and the maximum
load that can be measured using the balance.

View Text Solution
4. A load of 600 kgwt is raised over an inclined
plane as shown in the following figure.
How much force forming a couple should act
on the pulley so that the load is just raised?
View Text Solution

5.
A solid roller having a diameter of 0.82 m is to
be raised on to a step of height 32 cm (shown
in the figure). If the roller weights 50 kgwt, find
the minimum force that can be applied on the
roller for the purpose. (Takeg = 10ms

−2
)
View Text Solution

6. A wooden crate with a heavy machine
weighing 3000 N slides on the ground when
pushed by a lever AB of length 100 cm as
shown in the figure. The force required to slide
the crate acts at a distance of 10 cm from the
fulcrum . If the coefficient of friction between
the crate and the ground is √2, find the effort
required to move the crate. (Take the value of

√2 = 1.4 )
View Text Solution
7. A balance similar to a Roman steel yard is
constructed such that the length of the scale
on the beam of the balance is 50 cm and the
least count on the scale is 1 mm. The zero

mark of the scale is at a distance of 15 cm from
the point of suspension of the balance. The
hook that is used to attach the loads and the
centre of gravity of the beam are at distance 8
cm and 5 cm, respectively, from its fulcrum. If
the weight of the rider of the balance is 50 gf,
find the weight of the beam, the maximum
load that can be measured using the balance
and its least count.
View Text Solution

8. Can a body rotate even if net force acting on
it is zero? Can a single force stop a body from
rotation, if the body is rotating under the
action of a 'couple'? Explain.
View Text Solution
9. The length of the beam of a cannot balance
shown in the figure is 100 cm. The pans (P and
Q) and the strings used to suspend them to
the beam in its edges are identical. The hook

(H) that is used to lift the balance is arranged
at 50.5 cm from the end of the beam where
the pan Q is suspended.
The pan P is used for placing the standard
weights. If a customer buys 9 kg of a material
using the pan, find the percentage loss in the
mass.

10. A road roller of 200 kg wt slides on ground
when pushed by a lever AB of length 1m, as
shown in the figure. The force required to slide
the roller acts at a distance of 5cm from the
fulcrum. If the coefficient of friction between
the roller and the ground is √2 find the effort
required to move the roller. (Take

g = 10ms
−2
)
View Text Solution

Simple Machines

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Simple Machines

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Simple Machines

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

PHYSICS

BOOKS - PEARSON IIT JEE

1. Two like parallel forces acting on a rod, 15 N

and 5 N are separated by a distance of 4 m.

application of the resultant?

Watch Video Solution

2. Find the magnitude, direction and position

of the resultant, if the forces in the above

Watch Video Solution

3. Consider a machine whose mechanical

advantage is 5. It raises a load of 25 N.

Calculate the minimum effort that has to be

Watch Video Solution

4. The load arm and effort arm of a lever are 10

cm and 50 cm, respetively. The load and effort

are applied on the opposite sides of the

mechanical advantage. If the effort applied is

10 N, how much load can be raised by it?

Watch Video Solution

5. To lift a piece of burning coal of mass 200 g,

a cook uses a fire tong of length 30 cm. He

applies the effort at a distance of 10 cm from

its fulcrum. Find the effort applied by the cook.

Watch Video Solution

kept 8 cm away from the fulcrum and an effort

of 32 N is applied at the other end of the nut

cracker. Calculate the resistance offered by the

Watch Video Solution

7. A plank of length 4 m is inclined to the

ground such that its one end is resting on the

ground and the other end is 1 m above ground

applied to push a load of 48 N up the plank.

Watch Video Solution

8. A force of 8 N is applied to a body at a

distance of 20 cm from the point at which it is

pivoted. Calculate the torque or moment of

force about the pivot.

Watch Video Solution

axis of rotation of a body , it produces a

torque of 5 N m. Find the distance of the point

of application of the force from the axis of

Watch Video Solution

10. A mechanic unscrews a nut by applying a

force of 120 N on a spanner of length 40 cm.

spanner in order to apply only 40 N force ?

Watch Video Solution

11. A heavy metallic scale of length 1 m has its

centre of gravity at 50 cm division. It is

suspended at a 30 cm mark. A load of 60gwt

has to be tied at its zero cm make to keep it in

equilibrium. Calculate the weight of the scale.

Watch Video Solution

suspended at 50 cm division. A known weight

of 160 gwt is tied at 80 cm division and the

scale is balanced by a weight of 240 gwt tied

to the scale at a certain distance from the

point of suspension on the opposite side.

Calculate this distance.

Watch Video Solution

13. A car has a steering wheel of diameter to