The input force for a lever is 425 N while the output force is 215 N. To three significant digits, the mechanical advantage of the lever is .

1. ### Break Down the Problem

To find the mechanical advantage (MA) of a lever, we need to use the formula: $\text{MA} = \frac{\text{Output Force}}{\text{Input Force}}$ where:

• Output Force = 215 N
• Input Force = 425 N

2. ### Relevant Concepts

The mechanical advantage is a measure of how much a machine amplifies an input force. It can be calculated directly using the ratio of the output force to the input force.

3. ### Analysis and Detail

Now we will substitute the given values into the formula: $\text{MA} = \frac{215 \, \text{N}}{425 \, \text{N}}$

Calculating this gives: $\text{MA} = \frac{215}{425} = 0.50588235$

4. ### Verify and Summarize

Rounding the result to three significant digits, we get: $\text{MA} \approx 0.506$ Thus, the calculation confirms that the mechanical advantage of the lever is approximately 0.506.

Final Answer

The mechanical advantage of the lever, to three significant digits, is 0.506.