Machines Lab
It’s Not Elven Magic!
Introduction and Theory
“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man” –Elbert Hubbard1. Machines often are used to make life easier for human beings. A simple machine is described as a device used when a fore is being applied to an object. Simple machines include: levers, pulleys, wheel and axle, gears, inclined plane, wedge, and screws. Complex machines are systems of simple machines used together to get work done.
Mechanical advantage is how much input work is applied to machine compared to the output force put out by the machine. The mechanical advantage calculated by taking the actual measurements of the machine, such as length and height and displacement, is the ideal mechanical advantage or IMA. The mechanical advantage of a machine is calculated using the actual forces applied to the machine and force output from the machine. This is called the actual mechanical advantage or AMA. The AMA of a machine is always less than the IMA because of friction. Friction opposes the input forcing you to input more force than the calculated amount in the IMA calculation.
There are many reasons to use machines. Some simple machines change the direction of input force, multiply force, or multiply speed and displacement. You can tell if the machine is a force multiplier or a speed and displacement multiplier by looking at the calculated IMA. If a machine has a mechanical advantage >1 than it is a force multiplier. If a machine has a mechanical advantage <1 then it is considered a speed/displacement multiplier. If a machine has a mechanical advantage = 1 then it is most likely to be used to change the direction of the input force applied t...
... middle of paper ...
...rove everyday life whether we recognize it or not. We saw many patterns during this lab such as the fact that AMA was most commonly around 70% of the IMA, meaning that the efficiency was always around 70% except for the wheel and axle which makes sense because wheels are meant to reduce friction which mainly causes a loss in efficiency.
This lab was a very effective lab in changing my outlook on most things in life. This lab makes me realize that almost everything I do involves a simple machine whether it’s my body or a machine system I am using. Machines are very important for the regular function of everyday life. This was definitely one of the most influential teaching experiences I faced in my academic career for these reasons.
Citations
1 http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/machine.html
2 http://iqa.evergreenps.org/science/phy_science/ma.html
Teaching about the method and the myriad of amputations that could be done in just one day. Another thing I found interesting was how Harvey Cushing performed his work. I knew that the pituitary gland was responsible for the growth hormone and the different things that could go awry, but the way he had an assistant break into a funeral to remove the glands of a dead man seemed irrational, but I suppose it proves
...hese complex machines make work easier for us. Simple machines are also useful. For one they make up all complex machines. They also make work more manageable.
The “Doing Nothing” experiment exposed me to a new way of seeing things and also a new level of awkwardness. Standing still in a public place for ten minutes, with people walking past you and starring you down like you are some crazy person is quite the experience. You begin to understand that people take great notice of anything that seems out of the ordinary to them. This is because our society has developed and enacted so many societal norms in today’s day and age.
Energy efficient motors use more copper and iron than regular motors. They also consume less energy than regular motors.
The most fascinating aspect of this experience, for me, was the exposure to new cultures. This includes the twist culture puts on science. I found huge difference in the viewpoints of many cultures towards science related issues surprising. For instance many cultures had vastly different ways of looking at the forthcoming issues surrounding the implications of genetic engineering. The Asian and American cultures were very different in many work habit areas as well. There was an interesting group dynamic as culturally mixed groups strove to collectively complete group projects. The cultural sharing in science went beyond how questions were answered to how they were asked to which questions were most important and even which questions were addressed. while observing the cultural spin on science and work habits was an interesting pastime, the true wonder was cultural sharing on a greater scale.
Over the years, I have developed an innovative approach to teaching and conducting research with undergraduates through creating and presenting course materials in both laboratory and classroom settings. In my experience, the best teaching involves concrete, hands-on examples, so I engage students in my courses by encouraging the maximum laboratory participation possible.
...ship. The machines exist because of humans and humans cannot exist without the machines. In Isaac Asimov's novel, I, Robot, robots have come a long way starting with the inaudible Robbie all the way to the machines that control the world. The irony of the society is that in the first story robots were not socially acceptable but in the final story, society depends on robots for survival. Not only have the robots and the Laws evolved in Asimov's novel, but his society has as well. Asimov shows this evolution with his use of short stories. Separately, each of the stories are just tales about particular robots and how they relate to the Laws of Robotics. When these stories are merged into one novel, they create an entirely new theme that cannot be shown when separated.
Biology is the science of life, the mechanics deals with the design and production of machinery, and Engineering is the application of science and math to real life problems. Biomechanical engineering is mechanical engineering applied to biological systems. Using the combination of the scientific principles of biology, mechanics, and engineering, new advances in the healthcare field have been possible. Some of these advances include fabricating human tissue, improving the biomechanics of hearing with things like hearing aids, and robotics technology. The principle of biology is used because biomechanical is all about the body and fixing health problems that occur within it. Biology is very important for biomechanics, because without it, a biomechanical engineer wouldn’t be able to incorporate mechanical technologies to the body to help fix it. The principle of mechanical engineering is used because while you have to have an understanding of the body, you also have to understand the ways you can fix and improve it. The mechanical part of biomechanical engineering has to do with the technology that is improving the body and that machinery can be artificial devices that replace body parts, or machines for diagnosing medical
?Automation Reduces Weld Spatter? Welding Design & Fabrication (Jun. 2001): 37 EBSCOhost. Online. Nov. 2002 .
Stepping foot into the lab meant one thing for sure: conducting a new experiment. One time, the instructor distributed petri dishes and gave us instructions to gather specimens of bacteria. I ran excitedly out of the lab and then sat in a corner to gather my sample. The next day we used compound microscopes to examine our samples. Other times, I’d dissect and identify myriad parts of animals like hearts and brains. Cutting through the layers of the cerebrum while smelling the suffocating
Robots are machines that can do the work of a person and that work automatically or are controlled by a computer (Merriam-Webster, 2014). The Robot Institute of America (circa 1979) defines robots as “a reprogrammable, multifunctional manipulator designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized devices through various programmed motions for the performance of a variety of tasks” (Branwyn, G.). The Japanese Industrial Robot Association (JIRA) has classified robots based on the following: manually operated manipulators, sequential manipulators, programmable manipulators, numerically controlled robots, sensate robots, adaptive robots, smart robots, and intelligent mechatronic systems (Branwyn, G.). Robots have been improved over time and have proven to be efficient because the computer is controlling them. The history of robots goes as far back as the Ancient Greeks and Romans for the use of toys, tool...
We often think of automation as modern but with that there is a history that is dynamic and large. Automation in manufacturing is used to have machines perform processes with levels of speed, consistency, and precision that is more capable than a human worker. Manufacturing automation has many benefits.
The first and biggest positive impact on engineering has been the use of Computer Numerical Control machines (CNC); computers were first introduced to these controls in the early 1970’s. CNC machines typically replace or work in conjunction with some existing manufacturing process. For example before CNC machines a person using a drill press to machine holes would have to do a lot of work for themselves. They would have to place a drill in the drill chuck is secured in the spindle of the drill press. They can then select the desired speed for rotation, and activate the spindle. Then they manually pull on the quill lever to drive the drill into the work piece being machined. As you can see, there are a lot of manual steps required to use a drill press to drill holes. While this way may be acceptable for a small number of holes or parts. However, as quantities grow, so dose the likelihood for fatigue due to the tediousness of the operation. There are also more complicated machining operations that would require a much higher skill level of the person running the machining tool. The CNC machining center can be programmed to perform this operation in a much more automatic fashion. Everything that the drill press operator was doing manually will now be done by the CNC machine, including: placing the drill in the spindle, activating the spindle, positioning the work piece under the drill, machining the hole, and turning off the spindle. CNC works from a source code made on a computer that you just save as a file on your disk and insert it into the machine. The code can be made using two different ways, the first is just understanding the code, and by using the notepad program on you computer, you can just type it right out. This is the easiest way for very simple process, which doesn’t require much code.
First off let’s get something straight. When I refer to computers in this essay I am not referring only to the microprocessor sitting on your desk but to microprocessors that control robots of various structure.
According to dictionary.com,” Mechanical Engineering is the branch of engineering dealing with the design, construction, and use of machines.” Their job is to take an idea and actually make it happen. Doing this takes a lot of knowledge and skills. They first start off with an idea that they have. Then they try to make a small module of it. They do this so they know what the product will work without spending a lot of money on it. They have to find the right materials to do this. The materials have to be able to withstand a lot of things nature has to throw at it. Like rain, dust, lightening, and many more things. After they have to make sure the produce is safe. When all of this is done they build the real thing.