Could anyone help me with this question please? With full sentences because it is a practice question for an exam so it has to be clear.
Two common types of machines are wedges and inclined planes. Explain what each of these are and give two examples of each?
Thanks in advance!
Two common types of machines are wedges and inclined planes. Explain what each of these are and give two examples of each?
Thanks in advance!
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An inclined plane and a wedge are actually the same machine.
As a machine their purpose is to convert a small force with a large distance into a smaller distance with a larger force.
Before explaining them in greater detail it is helpful to give examples.
An axe is a wedge and so is a knife.
As you push a knife 2cm downwards into an apple, the apple separates by the thickness of the blade. Perhaps 2 mm
As energy is conserved F1 * 20mm = F2 * 2mm
F2 , the force applied to the apple, is then ten times bigger than the force you must apply on the knife.
An inclined plane includes a road or railway and a screw or bolt.
A railway may have a slope of 1 in 50.
This means that the train moves 50 m along to gain 1 m in height.
As work is conserved an increase of distance by 50 times means a reduction in force of the same factor.
In other words it takes just 1 tonne of force to lift a 50 tonne wagon on that slope.
In a screw the inclined plane is wrapped around a central core. If the pitch is 1 mm and the diameter of the bolt is 8 mm then the circumference of the bolt is about 24 mm. ( pi * d).
When the bolt is turned 1 turn it moves 24 mm around the circumference.
However it only moves inwards by 1mm which is the pitch.
This means that the inwards force, holding things together, is 24 times greater than the applied force needed to turn the bolt.
Now to try to find differences. Typically an inclined plane is a surface upon which we use a wheeled vehicle to move something with minimum friction.
A wedge slides past another surface so usually the friction is higher.
But topologically there is still no difference. You may slide something along an inclined plane ( eg a skier) and you may have wheeled objects acting on a wedge ( in bridge construction for example).
As a machine their purpose is to convert a small force with a large distance into a smaller distance with a larger force.
Before explaining them in greater detail it is helpful to give examples.
An axe is a wedge and so is a knife.
As you push a knife 2cm downwards into an apple, the apple separates by the thickness of the blade. Perhaps 2 mm
As energy is conserved F1 * 20mm = F2 * 2mm
F2 , the force applied to the apple, is then ten times bigger than the force you must apply on the knife.
An inclined plane includes a road or railway and a screw or bolt.
A railway may have a slope of 1 in 50.
This means that the train moves 50 m along to gain 1 m in height.
As work is conserved an increase of distance by 50 times means a reduction in force of the same factor.
In other words it takes just 1 tonne of force to lift a 50 tonne wagon on that slope.
In a screw the inclined plane is wrapped around a central core. If the pitch is 1 mm and the diameter of the bolt is 8 mm then the circumference of the bolt is about 24 mm. ( pi * d).
When the bolt is turned 1 turn it moves 24 mm around the circumference.
However it only moves inwards by 1mm which is the pitch.
This means that the inwards force, holding things together, is 24 times greater than the applied force needed to turn the bolt.
Now to try to find differences. Typically an inclined plane is a surface upon which we use a wheeled vehicle to move something with minimum friction.
A wedge slides past another surface so usually the friction is higher.
But topologically there is still no difference. You may slide something along an inclined plane ( eg a skier) and you may have wheeled objects acting on a wedge ( in bridge construction for example).
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Just want to add that all machines ultimately reduce to levers.
Think about it.
Think about it.