Calculating Mechanical Advantage and Ideal Mechanical Advantage
Mechanical Advantage: The amount that a machine can multiply its input force. (MA) IdealMechanical Advantage: The ideal mechanical advantage of a machine is one where there is no friction. (IMA)
How does friction affect Mechanical Advantage?: Friction affects MA because friction is rubbing on the surface of the machine so there will always be resistance. Some machines have less friction than others because some of the machines have less movement, therefore less friction. In calculating the MA, the more friction, the lower the MA.
Calculating Mechanical Advantage and Ideal Mechanical Advantage
Mechanical Advantage: The amount that a machine can multiply its input force. (MA)Ideal Mechanical Advantage: The ideal mechanical advantage of a machine is one where there is no friction. (IMA)
How does friction affect Mechanical Advantage?:
Friction affects MA because friction is rubbing on the surface of the machine so there will always be resistance. Some machines have less friction than others because some of the machines have less movement, therefore less friction. In calculating the MA, the more friction, the lower the MA.
.
V.S 
http://www.swe.org/iac/lp/inclined_02.htmlhttp://weakonomics.com/2011/07/25/leveraged-use-of-leverage/
How to calculate MA:
MA= Fout / Fin Example: MA= Fout/ Fin= 500/ 100
= 5
The MA is 5.0.
How to calculate IMA.
IMA= Din/ Dout Example: IMA= Din/ Dout= 40cm/5.0 cm
= 8.0
The IMA is 8.0.
Note that IMA and the MA do not have a unit of measurement associated with them.
Home
Input and Output forces
Practice questions
citations