Mechanical Advantage Review
MOVIE 1 shows Early Carlyon teaching a review lesson
on Mechanical Advantage that uses a demonstration and
drawings. The movie begins with an important quote from
Archimedes: "Give me a lever long enough and a
prop (fulcrum) strong enough, and I can single-handedly
move the world."
What the Greek philosopher did not mention was the critical
role that Trade-Offs play in Mechanical Advantage (MA)
-- see lesson on Ramps for more on Trade-Offs.
One person could move the world with a lever, but only
when the Applied Force traveled a tremendously large
distance, which results in a large force being felt
by the Earth (Load).
The formula for Work (Input) = Work (Output), or Force
x Distance = Force x Distance, is the fundamental equation
for any study of Mechanical Advantage. In this lesson,
Earl blends physics-styled free-body drawings using
force vectors with a demo of a simple lever to tell
the story of Mechanical Advantage.