Table of Contents
Mechanical Advantages | Definition, Formulas, Ideal And Actual Advantages
Mechanical advantage Definition :
This is the ratio of load lifted to effort applied. Thus, if W is the load and P is the corresponding effort, then
Mechanical Advantages Formulas = Load (w) / Corresponding Effort (P)
where,
Load: This is the resistance to be overcome by the machine.
Effort : This is the force required to overcome the resistance to get the work done by the machine.
Mechanical advantage is a measure of the force amplification achieved by using a tool, mechanical device or machine system. The device preserves the input power and simply trades off forces against movement to obtain a desired amplification in the output force. The model for this is the law of the lever. Machine components designed to manage forces and movement in this way are called mechanisms. An ideal mechanism transmits power without adding to or subtracting from it. This means the ideal mechanism does not include a power source, is frictionless, and is constructed from rigid bodies that do not deflect or wear. The performance of a real system relative to this ideal is expressed in terms of efficiency factors that take into account departures from the ideal.
Mechanical advantage that is computed using the assumption that no power is lost through deflection, friction and wear of a machine is the maximum performance that can be achieved. For this reason, it is often called the ideal mechanical advantage (IMA). In operation, deflection, friction and wear will reduce the mechanical advantage. The amount of this reduction from the ideal to the actual mechanical advantage (AMA) is defined by a factor called efficiency, a quantity which is determined by experimentation.
Example Of Mechanical Advantages:
If a and b are distances from the fulcrum to points A and B and if force FA applied to A is the input force and FB exerted at B is the output, the ratio of the velocities of points A and B is given by a/b, so the ratio of the output force to the input force, or mechanical advantage, is given by

Mechanical Advantages : FB/FA= A/B
Ideal mechanical advantage
The ideal mechanical advantage (IMA), or theoretical mechanical advantage, is the mechanical advantage of a device with the assumption that its components do not flex, there is no friction, and there is no wear. It is calculated using the physical dimensions of the device and defines the maximum performance the device can achieve.
Actual mechanical advantage
The actual mechanical advantage (AMA) is the mechanical advantage determined by physical measurement of the input and output forces. Actual mechanical advantage takes into account energy loss due to deflection, friction, and wear.
Mechanical advantage device
A simple machine that exhibits mechanical advantage is called a mechanical advantage device – e.g.:
- Lever
- Wheel axle
- Gears
- Chain , Pulley
- Screw
Recent Posts
Mechanical Engineering is an essential discipline of engineering encompassing many specializations, with each contributing its unique aspect to the dynamic and inventive nature of this field. With...
The Ram Lalla idol, which is installed at Ayodhya's Ram temple has many significant religious symbols from Hinduism. All 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu are engraved on the idol. Notably, Lord Ram is...