Activity 8.

Simple Machines
Date:___________________________

Name of group members:_____________________

Simple machines are devices that can multiply many times the amount of force or
torque applied to an object. In simple terms, it makes less effort when doing an amount of
work on some thing or on an object. Such simple machines, like lever, inclined plane, screw,
pulleys, and others, make an effortless mechanism in lifting, and or raising objects and for a
particular purpose.
Moreover, the effectiveness of these simple machines is characterized by their actual
mechanical advantage (AMA). This is defined simply by dividing the ratio between output force
to input force. On the other hand, the efficiency of these machines can be determined by
; where IMA = ideal mechanical advantage of the machine. AMA
and IMA can be expressed as
; where IMA is the mechanical advantage of the machine when
there is no friction involved in the system (Beiser, 1995).
Your task in this experiment is to determine the efficiency of an inclined plane and that
of a triple tandem pulley.
Experimental Set - up
IMA = # of strands of string
that supports the load

Figure 8.A. AMA and IMA for inclined plane

Figure 8.B. AMA and IMA for pulley system

Materials:
Friction board, iron stand with clamps, weights, triple tandem pulley, meterstick
Procedure:
A. Mechanical Advantage and Efficiency of an inclined plane
1. Set the board as shown in Figure 8.A.
2. Measure the mass of the block as M.

Simple Machines

3. Put mass m on the other end of the string until the block M starts to move and cover
the distance L.
4. Record this in Table 8.1.
5. Now, make another four trials by adding weights on block M. Repeat steps 3 and 4.
6. Calculate the AMA and IMA of the inclined plane. Determine also the efficiency of
this inclined plane.
B. Mechanical Advantage and Efficiency of a pulley system
1. Set up the pulley system as shown in Figure 8.B.
2. Place a 200 g mass, suspended as shown. This is the load Fout.
3. Put weights on the other of the string, this is the input force (Fin) until the load
covers a distance. Measure this distance and call this as sout. Measure the same the
distance covered by the input force, and call this distance as sin.
4. Do another four (4) trials by adding mass on the load.
5. Record your data in Table 8.2.
6. Calculate the

and I

, and the efficiency of this pulley

system.

Data
Table 8.1 Mechanical advantage and efficiency of inclined plane
M = mass of the block = ____________grams;
Added weights
to M (g)

AMA

Average

L = _________ cm;
IMA

h = ______cm
Efficiency

Simple Machines

Table 8.2 Mechanical advantage and efficiency of pulley system

Added
weights to
load L (N)

AMA

IMA

Efficiency

Average

Questions:
1. What reasons do you consider that the efficiency is always less than 1?

2. From Table 8.2, compare the result of the IMA in step B6 and the IMA = number of
strands that supports the load.

3. A ramp 25 m long slopes down 1.4 m to the edge of lake. How much force is needed to
pull out a 360 kg boat on a 90 kg trailer if friction in the trailers wheels reduces the
efficiency to 90 percent? (Beiser, 1995)

4. A woman uses a force of 80 N to raise a load of 280 N by 1.5 m with a pulley system. If
she pulls a total of 6 m of rope through the system, what is the efficiency of the system?
(Beiser, 1995)

Conclusion: