Explain what is meant by the term mechanical advantage. : levers are tools that allow a small effort to move significantly larger loads. this apparent magnification of the force applied to a lever, and the force resulting from it, is called its mechanical advantage.

So, in general, we can push something with 10 N of force and it will usually experience a force of 10 N. But if we use levers and other mechanisms, we can magnify the force that is felt. For example, if there is the tendency to rotate, we can have that in the picture I have attached there is balance. That is because the torques have to be equal and this happens if the heavier object is much further from the support than the lighter one. This is the same mechanism as with doors; it is much easier to open a door from the handle than from the rim. At the handle, the torque is greater, even though the force you apply on both cases is the same. In this picture, while the force on the right is bigger, the torques get balanced due to the distance difference. Hence, you can apply 10N on the left side and you will be lifting a box that weighs 100N! That is the magic of levers and in scientific language it is called the mechanical advantage.