What happens to the ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) when the pitch of a screw is increased?

The ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) of a screw is calculated as the ratio of the circumference of the screw to the pitch of the screw. Pitch refers to the distance between threads, or how far the screw advances in one complete turn. When the pitch of a screw is increased, it means that the distance between the threads is larger, which results in requiring more force to move the screw a certain distance.

As the pitch increases, the value of the denominator in the IMA formula becomes larger, while the circumference remains the same. Since the IMA is inversely related to the pitch, increasing the pitch results in a lower mechanical advantage. This means the screw becomes less efficient in converting input force to output force, leading to a decrease in the IMA.

Thus, when the pitch of a screw is increased, the ideal mechanical advantage decreases, making it more difficult to lift a load with the same amount of input force.