The mechanical advantage determined by measuring the actual forces acting on a machine is the actual mechanical advantage. The actual mechanical advantage (AMA) equals the ratio of the output force to the input force.
A loading ramp is a machine used to move heavy items into a truck. For instance, a long inclined ramp decreases the input force needed to lift a refrigerator into a truck. The mechanical advantage of a ramp with a rough surface is less than that of a similar smooth ramp because a greater force is needed to overcome friction.
Innovations of the Industrial Revolution
From the 1700s to the early 1900s, a stream of new machines and other inventions changed patterns of work and commerce forever.