Click the word Mechanical Advantage below to know what this word means if you don't already know.
Overview Ideal Mechanical advantage ( IMA ) is Mechanical Advantage that does not factor in the resistance of friction. Friction is thermal energy that is created when you rub to surfaces. Whenever you do work you are producing friction. Even on a fulcrum the machine is producing a little friction. The input distance of a lever is the side you are applying force to and the output distance is the side with the object you want to lift. this is called the effort arm and the load arm. the effort arm is the where the input force is exerted and the load arm is where the output force is exerted. How to Calculate To determine the IMA of a machine you have to divide the input distance by the output distance. The input distance is the distance the machine moves when you apply force to the machine. For instance if i were to pull out a nail using a hammer, the distance the hammer would travel when i pull up would be the input distance. The output distance is the distance the object moves. The formula to calculate IMA is D in/ Dout.
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Definition: The ratio of the output force by a machine to the applied input force while ignoring friction
Click the word Mechanical Advantage below to know what this word means if you don't already know.
Overview
Ideal Mechanical advantage ( IMA ) is Mechanical Advantage that does not factor in the resistance of friction. Friction is thermal energy that is created when you rub to surfaces. Whenever you do work you are producing friction. Even on a fulcrum the machine is producing a little friction. The input distance of a lever is the side you are applying force to and the output distance is the side with the object you want to lift. this is called the effort arm and the load arm. the effort arm is the where the input force is exerted and the load arm is where the output force is exerted.
How to Calculate
To determine the IMA of a machine you have to divide the input distance by the output distance. The input distance is the distance the machine moves when you apply force to the machine. For instance if i were to pull out a nail using a hammer, the distance the hammer would travel when i pull up would be the input distance. The output distance is the distance the object moves. The formula to calculate IMA is D in/ Dout.
IMA = D out/ D in
IMA = 10 cm/ 5 cm
IMA = 2