Machine (source code)

= Machine
{wiki}

A <machine> is a physical system arranged to transmit or transform <forces>, motion and <energy> to perform a task. A lever changes the relation between applied and delivered <force>; an <electric motor> converts electrical <energy> into rotation; a pump transfers mechanical <work> to a fluid.

For an ideal slowly moving mechanism with no stored-energy change or dissipation, input and output <work> agree. If constant forces act through distances $d_{\rm in}$ and $d_{\rm out}$, then $F_{\rm in}d_{\rm in}=F_{\rm out}d_{\rm out}$. A larger output force therefore accompanies a smaller output displacement. Real machines also dissipate energy through <friction>, vibration and heating, so motion geometry and <energy> dissipation must be assessed separately.