When an axe cuts into wood with a wedge shaped axe, a large input distance downwards causes a small output distance sideways. Is the input force greater or smaller than the output force or are they the same?Does an axe give a mechanical advantage or a distance advantage? Explain why you say so.
Question
When an axe cuts into wood with a wedge shaped axe, a large input distance downwards causes a small output distance sideways. Is the input force greater or smaller than the output force or are they the same?Does an axe give a mechanical advantage or a distance advantage? Explain why you say so.
Solution
When an axe cuts into wood, the input force (the force you apply on the axe handle) is less than the output force (the force the axe applies to the wood). This is because the axe is a type of simple machine called a wedge, and the purpose of a wedge is to increase force.
The large input distance downwards (the distance you move the axe) causes a small output distance sideways (the distance the wood splits). This is because the wedge of the axe converts a small force applied over a large distance into a large force applied over a small distance.
Therefore, an axe gives a mechanical advantage, not a distance advantage. The mechanical advantage of a machine is the ratio of the output force to the input force. In the case of the axe, the output force is greater than the input force, so the mechanical advantage is greater than one.
The reason why an axe does not give a distance advantage is because the input distance is greater than the output distance. A machine gives a distance advantage when the output distance is greater than the input distance, which is not the case with an axe.
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The actual mechanical advantage is always greater than the ideal mechanical advantage.Question 4Answera.Falseb.True
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