Wheels and Axles

The wheel and axle is considered a simple machine that magnifies force in much the same way a lever can magnify force. Similar to levers, torques around the axle in a wheel and axle system must balance for the system to be in equilibrium. An effort force is applied to the circumference of one of the wheels. It creates a torque on the axle depending on the radius of the wheel. If another wheel is attached to the same axle, then changing the radius of the second wheel will change the magnification of the original force.

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