What is the Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) of an inclined plane that is 3.0 m long and rises 0.60 m?

To find the Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) of an inclined plane, you can use the formula:

[ \text{IMA} = \frac{\text{length of the incline}}{\text{height of the incline}} ]

In this case, the length of the inclined plane is 3.0 meters and the height it rises is 0.60 meters. Plugging these values into the formula gives:

[ \text{IMA} = \frac{3.0 , \text{m}}{0.60 , \text{m}} = 5.0 ]

This calculation reveals that the IMA of the inclined plane is 5.0, which indicates that the inclined plane can help reduce the effort needed to lift an object by a factor of 5 compared to lifting it straight up. This means using the inclined plane is more efficient for raising loads, demonstrating how inclined planes work to make lifting easier.