Simple and Compound Machines Lecture

A vocabulary set covering the principles of simple and compound machines, mechanical efficiency, types of motion, and hydraulic systems based on the Saint Francis of Assisi College Lesson 3 transcript.

Simple Machine

A fundamental mechanical tool with few or no moving parts that allows work to be performed with less effort by changing force, distance, or the direction of the force.

Compound Machine

A machine made by combining two or more simple machines together to perform more complex tasks efficiently.

Incline Plane

A simple machine consisting of any slanting flat surface that spreads effort over a longer distance to raise objects vertically.

Wedge

A simple machine consisting of two inclined planes placed back to back, used to focus force onto a small area for cutting or splitting.

Pulley

A circular lever consisting of a grooved wheel rotating about a hub that uses ropes to change the direction of force.

Screw

An inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder that converts rotational force into linear force.

Wheel & Axle

A fixed wheel turning on a rod through its center that reduces rolling resistance and converts rotational motion into translational motion.

Lever

A rigid bar that rotates on a pivot called a fulcrum to balance effort and load.

Fulcrum

The pivot point on which a lever rotates.

First Class Lever

A type of lever where the fulcrum is positioned in the middle between the effort and the load.

Second Class Lever

A type of lever where the load is positioned in the middle between the fulcrum and the effort.

Third Class Lever

A type of lever where the effort is positioned in the middle between the fulcrum and the load.

Efficiency

A measure of how well a machine converts input energy or work into useful output work without loss.

Input Work

The work or energy applied to a machine by the user.

Output Work

The useful work or energy produced by a machine to perform a task.

Translational Motion

Movement of an object where all its parts move the same distance in the same direction, also known as linear motion.

Rotational Motion

Movement of an object around a fixed axis or point, where different parts of the object travel in circular paths.

Force

A push or pull that can initiate movement, bring an object to a halt, or alter its direction.

Work

Occurs when energy is transferred as a force and causes an object to move in the same direction as the applied force.

Joule

The standard unit for measuring work, abbreviated as $(J)$.

Mechanical Advantage

The ratio comparing the output force produced by a machine to the input force applied, showing how much the machine amplifies effort.

Pascal's Principle

A principle in fluid mechanics stating that pressure applied to a confined fluid is transmitted undiminished in all directions.

Hydraulic System

A system that uses fluid under pressure to transmit force, allowing a small input force to produce a much larger output force.