Difference between Ideal Mechanical Advantage (IMA) and Actual Mechanical Advantage (AMA)

Last updated on May 15th, 2021 at 09:57 am

Ideal Mechanical Advantage (I.M.A.) – The ratio of the total load to the effort is called Ideal Mechanical Advantage (I.M.A.) Therefore, I.M.A. =Total load/effort. [ the total load is the sum of the force to overcome the moveable parts, load due to friction, and the useful load.]
Actual Mechanical Advantage (A.M.A.) – The ratio of useful load to the effort is called Actual Mechanical Advantage (A.M.A.) Therefore, A.M.A.=Useful load/effort

Ideal Mechanical Advantage (I.M.A.) & Actual Mechanical Advantage (AMA)

The ratio of load to the effort is known as mechanical advantage. ∴ Mechanical advantage (M.A) =Load (W)/Effort (E). If a large load is lifted with small effort, then the mechanical advantage is greater than one.

Apart from MA, we have 2 more terms related to mechanical advantage. These are Ideal Mechanical Advantage (I.M.A.) and Actual Mechanical Advantage (AMA).

The effort applied to the machine is used to run the machine parts, to overcome friction, and to do useful work. Thus, the total load is the sum of the force to overcome the moveable parts, load due to friction, and the useful load.

This ratio of the total load to the effort is called ideal mechanical advantage (I.M.A.)
Therefore, I.M.A. =Total load/effort


The ratio of useful load to the effort is called actual mechanical advantage (A.M.A.)
Therefore, A.M.A.=Useful load/effort

Read About the fundamentals of machine

Scroll to top
error: physicsTeacher.in