Equations · equation
Mechanical Advantage
Mechanics · c. 250 BCE
- Equation
- MA = F_out / F_in = d_in / d_out (ideal)
- Field
- Mechanics
- Symbols
- MA mechanical advantage · F_in, F_out the force applied and the force delivered · d_in, d_out the distances each moves
- Year
- -250
Significance
A lever, a pulley block, a screw or a gear train trades force for distance, and the product — the work — stays the same. A four-part tackle lifts with a quarter of the effort and hauls four times the rope. Archimedes claimed he could move the Earth with a long enough lever; the catch is how far the other end has to travel. Friction eats into the ideal figure, and rigging tables say by how much.
Referenced by
equation
skill
Open on the Equations shelf — the interactive card, the filters, and everything alongside it.