Torque - Physics

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Question

A mechanic is able to exert a maximum torque of using a small wrench. The mechanic adds an attachment to the wrench that doubles the handle length. What is the maximum amount of torque the mechanic can exert with the new wrench?

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Answer

The maximum amount of torque is the magnitude of the torque vector , which is maximized when the angle between the applied force and the displacement vector is 90 degrees. Then the torque is given by , where is the length of the wrench and is the magnitude of the force applied. Since the mechanic doesn't get any stronger, but the handle length increases, the torque doubles.

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