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Mechanical advantage is a measure of the force amplification achieved by using a tool, mechanical device or machine system. The device trades off input forces against movement to obtain a desired amplification in the output force.
If a mechanical system has no losses, then the input power must equal the output power. This provides a simple formula for the mechanical advantage of the system. Let the input power to a device be a force F A acting on a point that moves with velocity v A and the output power be a force F B acts on a point that moves with velocity v B.
On the other hand, if the distance a from the fulcrum to the input force is less than the distance b from the fulcrum to the output force, then the lever reduces the input force. The use of velocity in the static analysis of a lever is an application of the principle of virtual work.
A compound machine is a machine formed from a set of simple machines connected in series with the output force of one providing the input force to the next. For example, a bench vise consists of a lever (the vise's handle) in series with a screw, and a simple gear train consists of a number of gears (wheels and axles) connected in series.
A machine is a mechanical linkage in which force is applied at one point, and the force does work moving a load at another point. At any instant the power input to a machine is equal to the input force multiplied by the velocity of the input point, similarly the power output is equal to the force exerted on the load multiplied by the velocity ...
If the input force F A is applied to the edge of the wheel A and the force F B at the edge of the axle B is the output, then the ratio of the velocities of points A and B is given by a/b, so the ratio of the output force to the input force, or mechanical advantage, is given by = =.
where F A is a force acting on point A on the rigid lever beam, F B is a force acting on point B on the rigid lever beam and a and b are the respective distances from points A and B to the pivot point. If F B is the output force and F A is the input force, then mechanical advantage MA is given by the ratio of output force to input force.
If a is the distance from the pivot to the point where the input force is applied and b is the distance to the point where the output force is applied, then a/b is the mechanical advantage of the lever. The fulcrum of a lever is modeled as a hinged or revolute joint. Wheel: The wheel is an important early machine, such as the chariot.