PLTW Principles of Engineering Review

Front

Define a simple machine and describe its purpose.

Back

A simple machine is a device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force, making work easier.

Front

List the six simple machines.

Back

Lever, Wheel & Axle, Inclined Plane, Wedge, Screw, Pulley.

Front

Explain the difference between AMA and IMA.

Back

AMA (Actual Mechanical Advantage) is the ratio of output force to input force, while IMA (Ideal Mechanical Advantage) is the ratio of input distance to output distance.

Front

When would the AMA and IMA of a system be equal?

Back

When there is no friction or other losses in the system.

Front

What is pitch, and how is it measured?

Back

Pitch is the distance between threads on a screw, measured as the distance from one thread to the next.

Front

Define mechanical advantage in your own words.

Back

Mechanical advantage is the factor by which a machine multiplies the force put into it.

Front

How do gears provide a trade-off between speed and torque?

Back

Gears can increase torque while decreasing speed or increase speed while decreasing torque, depending on their sizes.

Front

Identify one real-world example of each simple machine.

Back

Lever: seesaw; Wheel & Axle: bicycle; Inclined Plane: ramp; Wedge: knife; Screw: jar lid; Pulley: flagpole.

Front

Match the formula 𝑑 𝐸 𝑑 𝑅 to its machine type.

Back

Lever.

Front

Match the formula 𝑟 𝑤 ℎ 𝑒 𝑒 𝑙 𝑟 𝑎 𝑥 𝑙 𝑒 to its machine type.

Back

Wheel & Axle.