The mechanical advantage (MA) of a block and tackle pulley is equal to the number of times the effort force changes direction. An easy way to count how many times the effort force changes direction is to count the number of ropes that support the resistance which, in this problem, is 10. With a MA of 10, a 165 lbs. effort force could lift 165 lbs. x 10 = 1650 lbs. resistance.

Newton's Second Law of Motion states that "The acceleration of an object as produced by a net force is directly proportional to the magnitude of the net force, in the same direction as the net force, and inversely proportional to the mass of the object." This Law describes the linear relationship between mass and acceleration when it comes to force and leads to the formula F = ma or force equals mass multiplied by rate of acceleration.

The mechanical advantage (amount of change in speed or torque) of connected gears is proportional to the number of teeth each gear has. Called gear ratio, it's the ratio of the number of teeth on the larger gear to the number of teeth on the smaller gear.  For example, a gear with 12 teeth connected to a gear with 9 teeth would have a gear ratio of 4:3.

The mechanical advantage (MA) of a wedge is its length divided by its thickness:

MA = \( \frac{l}{t} \) = \( \frac{8 in.}{4 in.} \) = 2

Potential energy is the energy of an object by virtue of its position relative to other objects. It is energy that has the potential to be converted into kinetic energy.