What is the ratio of the area of the piston on Jerry's side to the area of the piston under Tricia's bed?

To determine the correct ratio of the area of the piston on Jerry's side to the area of the piston under Tricia's bed, it's important to consider how the mechanics of pistons work. In hydraulic systems, the pressure transmitted through the fluid is consistent throughout the system. According to Pascal's principle, the pressure applied to a confined fluid is transmitted undiminished in every direction.

Assuming that the two pistons operate under equal pressure conditions, we can use the formula for pressure, which is defined as force per unit area (P = F/A). If we want to maintain the same pressure while having different forces applied, the areas of the pistons must be different.

In this scenario, if the ratio of the areas of the pistons results in a smaller area for Jerry's piston compared to Tricia's bed, the ratio could be effectively expressed in terms of their areas. Thus, if Tricia's bed piston has a significantly larger area than Jerry’s, resulting in a ratio of 1:20 where Jerry’s area is the smaller part, then we have a realistic interpretation of the hydraulic system operating under the given conditions.

Thus, the ratio of the area of Jerry's piston to the area of Tricia's would