A small car lifter operates based on Pascal’s law, which states that pressure applied to a confined fluid is transmitted equally in all directions. A hydraulic system in the lifter consists of a small input piston and a larger output piston. When force is applied to the small piston, it creates pressure in the fluid, which is transmitted to the larger piston. Since the larger piston has a greater surface area, it produces a much greater lifting force despite the applied force being small. This principle allows the lifter to raise loads much heavier than itself.