A pencil sharpener has a handle with a radius of [tex][tex]$1.5 \, \text{cm}$[/tex][/tex]. The sharpening mechanism has a radius of [tex][tex]$0.5 \, \text{cm}$[/tex][/tex]. What is the IMA of the pencil sharpener?

A. 0.33
B. 0.5
C. 5
D. 3



Answer :

To determine the Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) of a pencil sharpener, we use the formula:

[tex]\[ IMA = \frac{\text{Radius of Handle}}{\text{Radius of Mechanism}} \][/tex]

Given the information:
- The radius of the handle is [tex]\( 1.5 \)[/tex] cm.
- The radius of the mechanism is [tex]\( 0.5 \)[/tex] cm.

We substitute these values into the formula:

[tex]\[ IMA = \frac{1.5 \, \text{cm}}{0.5 \, \text{cm}} \][/tex]

Simplifying this fraction:

[tex]\[ IMA = \frac{1.5}{0.5} \][/tex]

To divide [tex]\( 1.5 \)[/tex] by [tex]\( 0.5 \)[/tex]:

[tex]\[ IMA = 3 \][/tex]

Therefore, the Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) of the pencil sharpener is [tex]\( 3 \)[/tex].

So, the correct answer is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{3} \][/tex]