Systems in Action Definitions

systems in action definitions !!

System

System

a group of parts that work together to perform a desired task

Physical Systems

a group of physical parts that work together to perform a function

Social Systems

a group of people, or other organisms, joining together to perform tasks and establish relationships

Force

any push or pull

Inputs

the force, energy, or raw materials that you put into a system

Outputs

the task or service that a system performs

Side effects

the unintended or undesired outputs of a system

Systems Thinking

taking into consideration the inputs, outputs, and side effects of systems

Simple Machine

a device that requires a single force to work; made of only one or two parts

Fulcrum

the pivot point of a lever

Load Arm

the part of a lever that extends from the fulcrum to the mass being moved

Effort Arm

the part of a lever that extends from the fulcrum to where the force is applied

Input Force

the effort force applied to the lever

Output Force

the force the lever applies to the load

Load Force

the force that the input force has to overcome in order to cause movement

Inclined Plane

to move something from a lower height to a higher height (or vice-versa) with less effort

Wedge

to push two things apart

Screw

to hold things together or lift objects

Lever

to raise an input force to provide a greater output force

Wheel and Axle

to lift or move objects

Pulley

to lift heavy objects to a higher height

Gear

to transmit rotation or movement from one part to another

Gravitational Force

pull of Earth

Magnetic Force

magnetic push or pull

Electric Force

static cling; static electricity; force of an electric current; force of lightning

Mechanical Force

muscular force; hurricane force; slapshot; punch

Frictional Force

rubbing abrasion; roughness; force of resistance

Tensile Force

tightening

Compressive Force

crush; squash; squeeze; press; pinch; grip

Rotational Force

twist; turn; wring; coil; twirl

Magnitude

the quantity of force

Direction

which way the force is pushing or pulling

Newton

the unit used to measure forces (N)

Mass

the amount of matter that makes up and object or a substance

Weight

the force of gravity acting on an object

Friction

is the force that resists the movement of objects sliding or rolling over one another

Static Friction

the force that holds a motionless object where is is, preventing it from being moved across another objects surface

Sliding Friction

the force that acts like a brake when one surface slides over another surface

Lubricant

a substance that reduces friction and causes surfaces to slide more easily

Mechanical Advantage (MA)

the ratio of output force to input force for a given machine

Ideal MA

the mechanical advantage of a machine if all of the input force is converted into output force; never possible in real world applications

Actual MA

the mechanical advantage of a machine in real world applications, equal to ideal mechanical advantage minus force lost to friction, slippage, and distortion