Machine

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Machine

A machine is any device that uses energy

Energy

In physics, energy is a scalar physical quantity that describes the amount of Work_ that can be performed by a force. Energy is an attribute of objects and systems that is subject to a conservation law....
to perform some activity. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work

Work

Work may refer to:In physics:* Mechanical work, the amount of energy transferred by a force* Work , the quantity of energy transferred from one system to another...
. A simple machine

Simple machine

A simple machine is a mechanical device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force.In general, they can be defined as the simplest mechanisms that use mechanical advantage to multiply force....
is a device that transforms the direction or magnitude of a force

Force

In physics, a force is that which can cause an object with mass to change its velocity. Force has both Euclidean_vector#Length of a vector and Direction , making it a Vector quantity....
without consuming any energy.

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Quotations

Education makes machines which act like men and produces men who act like machines.

Erich Fromm

It is questionable if all the mechanical inventions yet made have lightened the day's toil of any human being.

John Stuart Mill

The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.

B.F. Skinner, Contingencies of Reinforcement, 1969

We are becoming the servants in thought, as in action, of the machine we have created to serve us.

John Kenneth Galbraith

You cannot endow even the best machine with initiative; the jolliest steam-roller will not plant flowers.

Walter Lippmann

All of the biggest technological inventions created by man - the airplane, the automobile, the computer - says little about his intelligence, but speaks volumes about his laziness.

Mark Kennedy

Encyclopedia

A machine is any device that uses energy

Energy

Work

Work may refer to:In physics:* Mechanical work, the amount of energy transferred by a force* Work , the quantity of energy transferred from one system to another...
. A simple machine

Simple machine

Force

Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
machina.

Usage

Historically, a device required moving parts to be classified as a machine; however, the advent of electronics technology

Electronics

Electronics refers to the flow of charge through nonmetal electrical conductor , whereas electrical refers to the flow of charge through metal electrical conductor....
has led to the development of devices without moving parts that are considered machines—the computer

Computer

A computer is a machine that manipulates Data according to a list of Code .The first devices that resemble modern computers date to the mid-20th century , although the computer concept and various machines similar to computers existed earlier....
being the most obvious example.

"Engine

Engine

An engine is a mechanical device that produces some form of output from a given input.An engine whose purpose is to produce kinetic energy output from a fuel is called a Wiktionary:prime mover; alternatively, a motor is a device which produces kinetic energy from a preprocessed "fuel" ....
s" are machines that convert heat

Heat

In physics and thermodynamics, heat is any transfer of energy from one body or thermodynamic system to another due to a difference in temperature....
or other forms of energy into mechanical energy

Mechanical energy

In physics, mechanical energy describes the potential energy and kinetic energy present in the components of a mechanical system....
. For example, in an internal combustion engine

Internal combustion engine

The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs in a combustion chamber inside and integral to the engine. In an internal combustion engine it is always the expansion of the high temperature and pressure gases that are produced by the combustion which apply force to the movable component of the engine, such as...
the expansion of gases caused by the heat from an exothermic

Exothermic

File:Explosion1.JPG In thermodynamics, the term exothermic describes a process or reaction that releases energy usually in the form of heat, but also in form of light , electricity , or sound....
chemical reaction results in a force being applied to a movable component, such as a piston

Piston

A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, pumps and gas compressors. It is located in a Cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings....
or turbine blade

Gas turbine

A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a flow of combustion gas. It has an upstream compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
.

Machines are ubiquitous in a wide variety of industrial

Industry

An industry is the manufacturing of a Good or Service within a category. Although industry is a broad term for any kind of economic production, in economics and urban planning industry is a synonym for the secondary sector, which is a type of economic activity involved in the manufacturing of raw materials into goods and products....
, commercial, residential and transportation applications. Those employing hydraulics

Hydraulics

Hydraulics is a topic of science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Hydraulics is part of the more general discipline of fluid power....
are especially useful in manufacturing

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the use of machine, tool and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to Industry production, in which raw material are transformed into finished good on a large scale....
and construction

Construction Equipment

Construction Equipment is a trade publication and web site owned by Reed Business Information serving the information needs of construction contractors, materials producers, and other owners and operators of construction equipment....
.

Types of machines and related components


Simple machine Simple machine A simple machine is a mechanical device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force.In general, they can be defined as the simplest mechanisms that use mechanical advantage to multiply force.... s	Inclined plane Inclined plane The inclined plane is one of the original six simple machines; as the name suggests, it is a flat surface whose endpoints are at different heights.... , Wheel and axle Wheel and axle The wheel and axle is a simple machine.The traditional form as recognized in 19th century textbooks is as shown in the image. This also shows the most widely recognized application, i.e., lifting water from a well.... , Lever Lever In physics, a lever is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or wiktionary:pivot point to multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object.... , Pulley Pulley A pulley is a mechanism composed of a wheel with a Groove between two flanges around the wheel's circumference. A rope, cable or belt usually runs inside the groove.... , Wedge Wedge (mechanics) A wedge is a triangle shaped tool, a compound and portable inclined plane, and one of the six classical simple machines. It can be used to separate two objects or portions of an object, lift an object, or hold an object in place.... , Screw Screw (simple machine) A screw is one of the six simple machines. All screws are helix inclined planes. A screw can convert a rotational force to a linear force and vice versa....
Mechanical components	Axle Axle An axle is a central shaft for a rotation wheel or gear. In some cases the axle may be fixed in position with a bearing or bushing sitting inside the hole in the wheel or gear to allow the wheel or gear to rotate around the axle.... , Bearings Bearing (mechanical) A bearing is a device to allow constrained relative motion between two parts, typically rotation or linear movement. Bearings may be classified broadly according to the motions they allow and according to their principle of operation as well as by the directions of applied loads they can handle.... , Belts Belt (mechanical) A Belt is a looped strip of flexible material, used to mechanically link two or more rotating shafts. They may be used as a source of motion, to efficiently Transmission , or to track relative movement.... , Bucket Bucket (machine part) A bucket is a specialized container attached to a machine, as compared to a bucket adapted to the form of a human being. It is a bulk material handling component.... , Fastener Fastener A fastener is a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together.Fasteners can also be used to close a container such as a bag, a box, or an envelope; or they may involve keeping together the sides of an opening of flexible material, attaching a Lid to a container, etc.... , Gear Gear A gear is a component within a Transmission device that transmits rotational force to another gear or device. A gear is different from a pulley in that a gear is a round wheel that has linkages that mesh with other gear teeth, allowing force to be fully transferred without slippage.... , Key Key (lock) A key is a device which is used to open a Lock . A typical key consist of two parts: the blade, which slides into the keyway of the lock and distinguishes between different keys, and the bow, which is left protruding so that torque can be applied by the user.... , Link chains, Rack and pinion Rack and pinion A rack and pinion is a pair of gears which convert rotational motion into linear motion. The circular pinion engages teeth on a flat bar - the rack.... , Roller chain Roller chain Roller chain or bush roller chain is the type of chain most commonly used for transmission of Power_transmission#Mechanical_power on bicycles, motorcycles, and in industrial and agricultural machinery.... s, Rope Rope A rope is a length of fibers, twisted or braided together to improve strength for pulling and connecting. It has tensile strength but is too flexible to provide compressive strength .... , Seals Seal (mechanical) A mechanical seal is a device which helps join systems or mechanisms together by preventing leakage , containing pressure, or excluding contamination.... , Spring Spring (device) A spring is an Elasticity object used to store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of hardened steel. Small springs can be wound from pre-hardened stock, while larger ones are made from annealing steel and hardened after fabrication.... , Wheel Wheel A wheel is a circular device that is capable of rotating on its axis, facilitating movement or transportation whilst supporting a load , or performing labour in machines.... ,
Clock Clock A clock is an instrument used for indicating and maintaining the time and passage thereof. The word clock is derived ultimately from the Celtic languages words clagan and clocca meaning "bell"....	Atomic clock Atomic clock An atomic clock is a type of clock that uses an atomic resonance frequency standard as its timekeeping element. They are the most accurate time and frequency standards known, and are used as primary standards for international Time dissemination, and to control the frequency of television broadcasts and GPS satellite signals.... , Chronometer Chronometer Chronometer may refer to:* Chronometer watch, a watch tested and certified to meet certain precision standards* Hydrochronometer, a water clock... , Pendulum clock Pendulum clock A pendulum clock is a clock that uses a pendulum, a swinging weight, as its timekeeping element. From its invention in 1656 by Christiaan Huygens until the 1930s, the pendulum clock was the world's most accurate timekeeper, accounting for its widespread use.... , Quartz clock Quartz clock A quartz clock is a clock that uses an electronic oscillator that is regulated by a quartz crystal to keep time. This crystal oscillator creates a signal with very precise frequency, so that quartz clocks are at least an order of magnitude more accurate than good mechanical clocks....
Compressors Gas compressor A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe .... and Pump Pump A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as gases, liquids or Slurry. A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. One common misconception about pumps is the thought that they create pressure.... s	Archimedes' screw Archimedes' screw Archimedes' screw, the Archimedes screw, the Archimedean screw or the screwpump is a machine historically used for transferring water from a low-lying body of water into irrigation ditches.... , Eductor-jet pump Eductor-jet pump An eductor-jet pump or aspirator can be used for draining areas which may contain combustible fluids or high levels of debris which could damage screws or blades in conventional pump designs.... , Hydraulic ram Hydraulic ram A hydraulic ram, or hydram, is a cyclic pump powered by hydropower. It functions as a hydraulic transformer that takes in water at one hydraulic head and flow-rate, and outputs water at a higher hydraulic-head and lower flow-rate.... , Pump Pump A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as gases, liquids or Slurry. A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. One common misconception about pumps is the thought that they create pressure.... , Tuyau Tuyau A tuyau is an ancient invention for producing cool, dry compressed air from a flow of water. It is a remarkable device because it can produce almost any degree of compression, given deep enough water, and has no moving parts or seals to wear.... , Vacuum pump Vacuum pump A vacuum pump is a device that removes gas molecules from a sealed volume in order to leave behind a partial vacuum. The vacuum pump was invented in 1650 by Otto von Guericke....
Heat engine Heat engine A heat engine is a physical or theoretical device that converts thermal energy to mechanical output. The mechanical output is called Mechanical work, and the thermal energy input is called heat.... s	External combustion engine External combustion engine An external combustion engine is a heat engine where an working fluid is heated by combustion of an external source, through the engine wall or a heat exchanger.... s	Steam engine Steam engine File:Steam-powered fire engine.jpgA steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines have a long history, going back at least 2000 years.... , Stirling engine Stirling engine A Stirling engine is a device that converts heat energy into mechanical power by alternately compressing and expanding a fixed quantity of air or other gas at different temperatures....
	Internal combustion engine Internal combustion engine The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs in a combustion chamber inside and integral to the engine. In an internal combustion engine it is always the expansion of the high temperature and pressure gases that are produced by the combustion which apply force to the movable component of the engine, such as... s	Reciprocating engine Reciprocating engine A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is a heat engine that uses one or more Reciprocating motion pistons to convert pressure into a Circular motion.... , Gas turbine Gas turbine A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a flow of combustion gas. It has an upstream compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between....
Linkages Linkage (mechanical) A mechanical linkage is a series of rigid links connected with joints to form a closed chain, or a series of closed chains. This is created by two or more levers that are put together....	Pantograph Pantograph A pantograph is a Linkage connected in a special manner based on parallelograms so that the movement of one specified point is an amplified version of the movement of another point.... , Peaucellier-Lipkin Peaucellier-Lipkin linkage The Peaucellier-Lipkin linkage , invented in 1864, was the first linkage capable of transforming rotary motion into perfect straight-line motion, and vice versa....
Turbine Turbine A turbine is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a fluid flow. Claude Burdin coined the term from the Latin turbo, or vortex, during an 1828 engineering competition....	Gas turbine Gas turbine A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a rotary engine that extracts energy from a flow of combustion gas. It has an upstream compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in-between.... , Jet engine Jet engine A jet engine is a reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet of fluid to generate thrust in accordance with Isaac Newton Newton's laws of motion.... , Steam turbine Steam turbine A steam turbine is a mechanical device that extracts thermal energy from pressurized steam, and converts it into rotary motion. Its modern manifestation was invented by Charles Algernon Parsons in 1884.... , Water turbine Water turbine A water turbine is a rotary engine that takes energy from moving water.Water turbines were developed in the nineteenth century and were widely used for industrial power prior to electrical grids.... , Wind generator Wind generator A wind generator is a device that generates electrical power from wind energy.Wind generators have traditionally been wind turbines, i.e. a propeller attached to an electric generator attached to appropriate electronics to attach it to the electrical grid or to battery charger.... , Windmill Windmill A windmill is a machine that is powered by the energy of the wind. It is designed to convert the energy of the wind into more useful forms using rotating blades or sails....
Aerofoil Airfoil An airfoil or aerofoil is the shape of a wing or blade or sail as seen in cross-section.An airfoil-shaped body moved through a fluid produces a force perpendicular to the motion called lift ....	Sail Sail A sail is any type of surface intended to generate thrust by being placed in a wind—in essence a vertically-oriented wing. Sails are used in sailing.... , Wing Wing A wing is a surface used to produce Lift for flight through the Earth's atmosphere or another gaseous or fluid medium. The wing shape is usually an airfoil.... , Rudder Rudder A rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, or other conveyance that moves through a fluid . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane.... , Flap Flap Flap may refer to:* Flap , a hinged surface on the trailing edge of an airplane wing* Roof flap, an aerodynamic feature of race cars* Flapping, one of the Bird flight#Basic mechanics of bird flight in birds... , Propeller Propeller A propeller is a type of fan which transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. It can be used to drive an fixed-wing aircraft, ship, or the fluid within a pump....
Electronics Electronics Electronics refers to the flow of charge through nonmetal electrical conductor , whereas electrical refers to the flow of charge through metal electrical conductor....	Vacuum tube Vacuum tube In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , thermionic valve, or just valve is a device used to amplifier, switch, otherwise modify, or create an Electricity signal by controlling the movement of electrons in a low-pressure space.... , Transistor Transistor In electronics, a transistor is a semiconductor device commonly used to Electronic amplifier or switch Electronics signals. A transistor is made of a solid piece of a semiconductor material, with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit.... , Diode Diode In electronics, a diode is a two-terminal device .Diodes have two active electrodes between which the signal of interest may flow, and most are used for their unidirectional electric current property.... , Resistor Resistor \|- align = "center"\|\|width = "25"\|\| \|- align = "center"\|\|\| Potentiometer\|- align = "center"\| \|\| \|- align = "top"\| Resistor\|\| Variable resistor... , Capacitor Capacitor A capacitor or condenser is a Passive component electronic component consisting of a pair of electrical conductor separated by a dielectric.... , Inductor Inductor An inductor is a Passive component Electronic component that can store energy in a magnetic field created by the electric current passing through it....
Miscellaneous	Robot Robot A robot is a virtual or mechanical artificial agent. In practice, it is usually an Electromechanics which, by its appearance or movements, conveys a sense that it has Intention or Agency of its own.... , Vending machine Vending machine A vending machine provides various snacks, beverages, and other products to consumers. The idea is to vend products without a cashier. Items sold via vending machines vary by country and region.... , Wind tunnel Wind tunnel A wind tunnel is a research tool developed to assist with studying the effects of air moving over or around solid objects.Ways that wind-speed and flow are measured in wind tunnels:... ,Check weighing machines Check weigher A checkweigher is an automatic machine for checking the weight of packaged commodities.It is normally found at the offgoing end of a production line and is used to ensure that the weight of a pack of the commodity is within specified limits.... , Riveting machines Riveting machines Riveting machines are used to automatically set rivets in order to join materials together....

Machine

Usage

Types of machines and related components

See also