Mechanical Advantage
Mechanical Advantage of Simple Machines
Simple machines make work easier by creating mechanical advantage. Mechanical advantage is a measure of how much faster or easier a machine makes your work. Remember that work is a force - like a push or pull - that acts on an object to move it across a distance.
For example, the cart in the picture above uses wheels and axles. Those wheels and axles give mechanical advantage because you can push the cart the same distance with less force than if it didn't have wheels and axles.