Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Practice Test

To find the mechanical advantage of a bicycle, you need to consider the ratio of the distance traveled by the pedals to the distance traveled by the wheels. The mechanical advantage can be calculated by using the lengths of the pedal and the radius of the wheel.

First, convert the wheel diameter to radius. Since the diameter of the wheel is 48 inches, the radius will be half of that, which equals 24 inches.

Next, the length of the pedals is given as 8 inches. The mechanical advantage is found by comparing the radius of the wheel to the length of the pedals:

Mechanical Advantage = Radius of the Wheel / Length of the Pedal

= 24 inches / 8 inches

= 3

Thus, the mechanical advantage of the bicycle is 3, which means that for every revolution of the pedals, the wheel travels 3 times farther.

The correct answer is 3, providing a clear understanding of how pedal length and wheel size contribute to mechanical advantage in bicycle systems. The options provided serve to illustrate the significance of understanding the relationship between different components of mechanical systems, as they would have varied applications in real-world scenarios.