Compound machines (efficiency)

Description

A simple machine is a mechanical device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force. In general, they can be defined as the simplest mechanisms that use mechanical advantage to multiply force. A compound machine is a machine formed from a set of simple machines connected in series with the output force of one providing the input force to the next. Mechanical efficiency measures the effectiveness of a machine in transforming the energy and power that is input to the device into an output force and movement. Efficiency is measured as a ratio of the measured performance to the performance of an ideal machine: The efficiency of a compound machine is the product of the efficiencies of the series of simple machines that form it.