Principles of Engineering - Simple Machines

These flashcards cover key concepts and terminology related to simple machines and their principles.

Simple Machines

Mechanisms that manipulate the magnitude of force and distance.

Mechanical Advantage (MA)

The ratio of the magnitude of resistance forces to effort forces.

Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA)

Theory-based calculation not considering friction loss.

Actual Mechanical Advantage (AMA)

Inquiry-based calculation that takes frictional losses into consideration.

Lever

A rigid bar used to exert pressure or sustain weight at one point by applying force at another.

First Class Lever

A lever where the fulcrum is located between the effort and resistance forces.

Second Class Lever

A lever with the fulcrum at one end and resistance force between the fulcrum and effort force.

Third Class Lever

A lever with the fulcrum at one end and effort force between the fulcrum and resistance.

Work

The force applied on an object times the distance the object travels parallel to the force.

Moment

The turning effect of a force about a point, calculated as the magnitude of the force times perpendicular distance.

Torque

A force that produces or tends to produce rotation or torsion.

Rotational Equilibrium

The state when the sum of all clockwise moments equals the sum of all counterclockwise moments about a pivot.

Pulley

A lever consisting of a wheel with a groove used to change the direction and magnitude of a force.

Fixed Pulley

A first class lever with an IMA of 1 which changes the direction of force.

Movable Pulley

A second class lever with an IMA of 2, where force directions stay constant.

Block and tackle

A combination of fixed and movable pulleys to provide mechanical advantage.

Compound Machines

Machines that use one simple machine after another, multiplying mechanical advantages.

Efficiency

The ratio of useful energy output to the total energy input in a machine.

Inclined Plane

A flat surface tilted at an angle used to help raise or lower objects.

Screw

An inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder or cone used to hold objects together or lift.

Wedge

A piece of material with a pointed edge that converts a force applied to its blunt end into a lateral force.