How is the ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) of an inclined plane calculated?

The ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) of an inclined plane is calculated by using the ratio of the length of the incline to the height. This relationship reflects how the steepness of the incline affects the amount of effort needed to lift an object to a certain height. The longer the incline, the less effort is required to raise the object to the same height, resulting in a mechanical advantage.

Using the length of the incline in the calculation allows for understanding how the geometry of the plane reduces the amount of force needed to lift the load. Specifically, it demonstrates that as the length increases (while maintaining the same height), the effort needed to move an object up the incline decreases, thereby providing an advantage in lifting.

This concept underlines how inclined planes make lifting easier by distributing the required force over a longer distance, which is a critical principle in mechanics and a foundational idea in the study of machines. Other options do not accurately represent the relationship for calculating IMA in the context of an inclined plane.