Mechanical Advantage of Inclined Plane and Pulley

Mechanical Advantage

What is it and how is it calculated?

What is Mechanical Advantage?

An inclined plane (ramp), a lever, a pulley, a wedge, a
wheel-and-axle, and a screw are considered the six kinds of
simple machines.

These simple machines are commonly used to provide
mechanical advantage. That is: simple machines allow a
small force (effort)to do a job that would require a greater force
(load) without the simple machine.

The mechanical advantage (M.A.) is the ratio of the load to the
effort. Or, M.A. = (load force) / (effort force)

How is it Calculated?

For any simple machine the mechanical advantage can be
calculated as shown at the end of the previous slide:

M.A. = (load force) / (effort force)

However, the theoretical mechanical advantage for each kind of
simple machine can be calculated from features of the simple
machine. These formula are on the following slides.....