Advantage of Using Machines

Most recent answer: 10/22/2007

Q:
what is mechanical advantage? explain me in detail.
- prasanthi (age 10)
vivekananda high school, nellore, ap, india
A:
Mechanical advantage is basically a number that represents the advantage of using a machine. There are different simple machines that each give some mechanical advantage. My favorite and probably the easiest to understand is the lever.

Levers appear in many places. Forks, chopsticks, spoons, and a number of other tools are basically levers. A lever has 3 basic parts. The place where you apply the force, the place that you want to move, and the place where the lever balances (this is the fulcrum). Based on the different lengths of the lever, you get different mechanical advantages. For example, you have a lever that has a box on one end. You want to lift the box. If the distance is longer from the fulcrum to you than from the fulcrum to the box, you will find it easier to lift the box than if you picked it up by hand. This is mechanical advantage. You have used a machine (a lever) to mach things easier for you.

Adam

(published on 10/22/2007)