Chapter 12, Problem 90GP

A home mechanic wants to raise the 280-kg engine out of a car. The plan is to stretch a rope vertically from the engine to a branch of a tree 6.0 m above, and back to the bumper (Fig. 12–96). When the mechanic climbs up a stepladder and pulls horizontally on the rope at its midpoint, the engine rises out of the car. (a) How much force must the mechanic exert to hold the engine 0.50 m above its normal position? (b) What is the system’s mechanical advantage?