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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.
In mechanical engineering, mechanical efficiency is a dimensionless ratio that measures the efficiency of a mechanism or machine in transforming the power input to the device to power output. 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.
If a and b are distances from the fulcrum to points A and B and the force F A applied to A is the input and the force F B applied at B is the output, the ratio of the velocities of points A and B is given by a/b, so we have the ratio of the output force to the input force, or mechanical advantage, is given by: = =.
If <, the output force is less than the input, but the distance moved by the load is greater than the distance moved by the input force. In the screw, which uses rotational motion, the input force should be replaced by the torque, and the velocity by the angular velocity the shaft is turned.
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.
Mechanical linkages are usually designed to transform a given input force and movement into a desired output force and movement. The ratio of the output force to the input force is known as the mechanical advantage of the linkage, while the ratio of the input speed to the output speed is known as the speed ratio. The speed ratio and mechanical ...
[5]: 76 When the input gear rotates faster than the output gear, then the gear train amplifies the input torque. Conversely, if the output gear has fewer teeth than the input gear, then the gear train reduces the input torque; [5]: 68 in other words, when the input gear rotates slower than the output gear, the gear train reduces the input torque.