Mechanical Comprehension Flash Card Set 977032

Card 3 of 10
Wheel and Axle

A wheel and axle uses two different diameter wheels mounted to a connecting axle. Force is applied to the larger wheel and large movements of this wheel result in small movements in the smaller wheel. Because a larger movement distance is being translated to a smaller distance, force is increased with a mechanical advantage equal to the ratio of the diameters of the wheels. An example of a wheel and axle is the steering wheel of a car.

ratio

A wheel and axle has a mechanical advantage equal to the __________ of the diameters of the wheels.