How do things that provide mechanical advantage by being levers or acting like levers (gears) fit into the F=m•a formula? I.e. do they increase force in the formula by increasing either the acting mass of an object or the acceleration.
In: Engineering
I think you need the equation work = force x distance. Simple machines change the ratio of force and distance for the same work. So if you use a lever to pry something, you apply less force over a greater distance on one end and get more force over a smaller distance on the other end. But the same amount of work (a form of energy) remains the same.
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