mechanical advantage

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable or uncountabletechnicalphysics

   The ratio of the force a machine produces to the force put into it, showing how much it multiplies effort.

   Grammar: Used with 'a' or 'the' when you name a figure, and without an article when discussing the idea in general: a mechanical advantage of 4; gain mechanical advantage.

   Patterns

   • a mechanical advantage of + number
   • give something a mechanical advantage
   • gain mechanical advantage

   A lever with a long effort arm gives a mechanical advantage of about five.

   Pulleys are used on building sites because they create a mechanical advantage when lifting heavy loads.

   The design increases the mechanical advantage, so workers need less force to move the crate.

2. 2nouncountablefigurative

   Any practical benefit that comes from the way a machine or system is built.

   Grammar: Countable and usually used with 'a'; common in general writing about engineering or business systems.

   Patterns

   • have a mechanical advantage over something
   • a mechanical advantage in doing something

   Robotic arms have a mechanical advantage over human hands when the task needs endless repetition.

   The new gear system gives the bike a real mechanical advantage on steep hills.

Common combinations

gain a mechanical advantage

By adding a second pulley, the crew gained a mechanical advantage.

a mechanical advantage of 3

This ramp has a mechanical advantage of 3, so the push feels three times lighter.

increase the mechanical advantage

Lengthening the handle will increase the mechanical advantage of the jack.

calculate the mechanical advantage

In the exam you must calculate the mechanical advantage from the two forces.

give somebody a mechanical advantage

The lever gives the farmer a mechanical advantage when lifting rocks.

Synonyms and how they differ

leverage

Leverage is the everyday word for the power a lever or position gives you, while mechanical advantage is the precise measured ratio.

force ratio

Force ratio is a broader technical term for comparing two forces; mechanical advantage is the specific ratio of output force to input force in a machine.

Word family

mechanically adverb

In a way that relates to machines or to the working parts of something.

mechanics noun

The study of how forces move objects, or the way something works in practice.

Commonly confused: mechanical advantage or efficiency?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “mechanical advantage”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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