Why Is IMA Lower Than AMA in Lever Systems?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the discrepancy between Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) and Actual Mechanical Advantage (AMA) in lever systems. The user calculates IMA using the formula EA/RA and finds it consistently lower than AMA, which is calculated as RF/EF. The provided data includes various measurements of effort force, resistance force, effort distance, and resistance distance, confirming that the IMA values are indeed lower than the AMA values across multiple trials. This outcome is consistent with the principles of mechanical advantage, where real-world factors such as friction and inefficiencies lead to a lower IMA compared to AMA.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of lever mechanics and the concept of mechanical advantage.
  • Familiarity with the formulas for calculating IMA (EA/RA) and AMA (RF/EF).
  • Basic knowledge of forces, including effort force (EF) and resistance force (RF).
  • Ability to interpret and analyze experimental data related to physical systems.
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the effects of friction on mechanical advantage in lever systems.
  • Explore the differences between static and dynamic forces in mechanical systems.
  • Learn about the principles of torque and its relationship to lever arms.
  • Investigate real-world applications of levers in engineering and physics.
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Students studying physics, educators teaching mechanics, and engineers interested in the practical applications of lever systems.

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Homework Statement


...Fulcrum-->...4.....5...6.....7
Effort Force (EF)
(Measured EF+EA)--... 12.1 N... 12.8 N... 14.3 N... 17.6 N

Resistance Force (RF)
(RA+weight load(9.8))-. 25.0 N... 26.0 N... 27.0 N... 28.1 N

Effort Distance (Ed)... 1.15 m... 1.05 m.../ .950 m.../ .850 m

Resistance Distance (Rd).../ 0.54 m.../ .64 m .740 m.../ .840 m

Effort Arm Weight (EA)
(Ed/Td = x/Tw)- ... 11.6 N... 10.6 N... 9.56 N... 8.55 N

Resistance Arm Weight (RA)
(Rd/Td = x/Tw)--... 15.2 N... 16.2 N... 17.2 N... 18.3 N

Mechanical Advantage.. 4.../5.../6.../7
Ideal (Ed/Rd)--...2.13/ 1.64/ 1.28/ 1.01
Actual (RF/EF)--... 2.07/ 2.03/ 1.89/ 1.60

Homework Equations


My teacher has me solving AMA (RF/EF)with RF=weight of RA +weight of load 9.8, and EF=weight of EA+EF measured with scale. (results on chart). Also he wants me to solve IMA using EA/RA, where EA = distance from effort force to fulcrum, and RA = distance from load to fulcrum. This is the same thing as dividing Ed by Rd from the chart, unless I'm mistaken. When I work this out, the IMA is lower than the AMA, and I don't believe that's right. I really need some help

I'm really sorry if this is very messy
 
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I believe that either I misunderstood the equation or the paper is incorrect.
 

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