Mechanical Efficiency of Real Machines

The mechanical efficiency of a machine is a fundamental concept that describes how effectively a machine can convert input work into output work. According to this concept, the efficiency of a machine is equal to the ratio of the output work to the input work. An ideal machine, meaning a machine that has no energy losses, has an efficiency of on...

A machine's mechanical efficiency is the ratio of output to input work.

For an ideal machine, the ratio is one, implying that the input and output work are equal.

For instance, in an ideal toggle vise that compresses wood, the output work due to the reaction force equals the input work due to the applied force.

In contrast, ...