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Cactus High School - RPM 498
Mechanics 101
Moment Arm
The distance between a force and a fulcrum is a moment arm.
The distance between the applied force and the fulcrum is the
Effort Arm
.
The distance between the load and the fulcrum is the
Load Arm
.
Levers
Levers are used to change the direction or magnitude of an applied force.
The mechanical advantage of a lever is the ratio of the Effort Arm to the Load Arm.
When the fulcrum is closer to the load than it is to the effort, the mechanical advantage is greater than one.
The cost of this increased mechanical advantage is a decrease in distance traveled.
Wheels
Many levers around a common point approximate a wheel.
Gears change the direction and magnitude of a torque.
Pulleys change the direction of a (tension) force.
Motors create torque through electromagnetic force.
M-8
