Systems in Action

• System

  A set of organized parts that work together to fulfill a specific purpose
• Types of systems

  • Mechanical
  • Political
  • Biological
  • Transportation
• Input

  The materials or energy required by the system
• Output

  The result of the system
• Levers and Mechanical Advantage

  1. Label the fulcrum, load, effort force, effort arm, and load arm

  2. Calculate mechanical advantage of a lever for any length of effort arm and load arm
• Mechanical Advantage (MA)

  Effort arm length/load arm length
• The mechanical advantage is used to tell how many times easier it is with the machine than without it
• Work

  W = Fd
• The units used to measure work are Joules
• If you increase the distance

  The force decreases
• Calculating the force required to lift an object against gravity

  Work (J) = Force (N) x distance (m)