An inclined plane is a sloped surface that is used to lift things up. One example of an inclined plane is a screw. A screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a cylindrical surface, which is also called a helix. Another kind of an inclined plane is a wedge. A wedge is a combination of two inclined planes put together that moves. Inclined planes allow work to be made easier because they reduce the effort needed to transport things. However, the downside to the inclined plane is the fact that when an inclined plane is used, one must carry the object a greater distance. So, in this case, less force needed to lift or carry is traded for a greater distance that is needed to carry or lift an object.
The Mechanical Advantage for an Inclined Plane will always be less than one. The reason for this is that the distance (slope) will always be greater than the original height. The formula for the Ideal Mechanical Advantage of an Inclined Plane is:
IMA
= L
h
The "L" is the length of the slope. In other words the distance that one must bring the object up the inclined plane. The "h" is the original height that the object would have needed to be brought up.
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