Using a Free Body Diagram to Understand Simple Pulleys
Sometimes the simplest alteration in design results in a huge improvement, a truth I’ve discovered more than a few times during my years as an engineering expert. Last time we introduced the simple pulley and…
The Simple Pulley Gives Us a Lift
Lifting heavy objects into position always presents a challenge, whether it’s a mom lifting a toddler to her hip or a construction worker lifting work materials to great heights. During my…
Kinetic Energy to Work, Work to Kinetic Energy
Last time we watched our example ceramic coffee mug crash to a concrete floor, where its freefall kinetic energy performed the work of shattering it upon impact. This is a scenario…
Mohs Scale of Hardness, Ceramic vs. Concrete
Last time we watched as the kinetic energy of our falling coffee mug was transformed into the work of creating a crater in a pan of soft kitty litter. Shock absorbing materials are often placed strategically to…
When Kinetic Energy Meets With Opposing Force
Objects in motion inevitably meet with opposing forces, a theme which I frequently encounter in my work as an engineering expert. Today we’ll calculate the opposing force our exemplar coffee mug meets when…
The Force of Gravity
As We Know how Henry Cavendish built upon the work of scientists before him to calculate Earth’s mass and its acceleration of gravity factor, as well as the universal gravitational…
Gear Reduction Worked Backwards
Previously we saw how a gear reduction does as its name implies, reduces the speed of the driven gear with respect to the driving gear within a gear train. Today we’ll…
Brakes and Braking Systems
Imagine driving in your car, you’re traveling at a speed of 65 mph and you’re coming up on a curve. You depress your brake pedal to negotiate the turn, and nothing…
Calculating Velocity – de Coriolis’ Kinetic Energy Formula
Last time we discussed Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis’ formula to compute kinetic energy. Today we’ll use it to determine the speed of descent, or velocity, of the coffee mug we’ve been…
Calculating the Force of Friction
Last time we introduced the frictional force formula which is used to calculate the force of friction present when two surfaces move against one another, a situation which I as…
