Many machines develop mechanical power.
Before establishing the meaning of the term mechanical power , it is necessary that we determine its etymological origin:
-Power is a word that derives from Latin, specifically from “potentia”, which can be translated as “quality of one who has power” and is made up of three different parts: the verb “posse”, which is equivalent to “power” ; the particle “-nt”, which is used to indicate “agent”; and the suffix “-ia”, which indicates “quality”.
-Mechanics, for its part, comes from the Greek, from “mekhanikos”. This means “relative to the machine” and is structured from the sum of the following elements: the noun “mekhane”, which can be translated as “machine”, and the suffix “-ico”, which is synonymous with “relative to ”.
What is mechanical power
The concept of power can be used to name the amount of work that is carried out for a certain unit of time . It can be calculated, in this sense, by dividing the energy invested by the time period in question. In colloquial language, potency is synonymous with strength or power .
Mechanics , on the other hand, is something that a mechanism exerts or that can cause various physical effects, such as erosion or a crash. It is also the branch of physics dedicated to studying the movement and balance of bodies that are subjected to a force.
With this in mind, we can define what mechanical power is. It is about the work carried out by a person or by machinery in a certain space-time. Mechanical power, in this sense, is that transmitted through the implementation of a mechanism or the exercise of physical force.
When a crane lifts a load, it exerts mechanical power.
The example of a crane
An example of mechanical power is found in the operation of a crane that must lift a load . Suppose you need to lift a container to place it inside a truck. Because the container is very heavy, no person can move it.
Therefore, a crane is used that is capable of developing a mechanical power greater than that which any individual can achieve. In this way, the crane lifts the container and places it on the truck that will be in charge of its transportation.
Mechanical power characteristics
In addition to everything stated above, we can establish other important data about mechanical power:
-It is measured in watts (W). One watt is equivalent to one joule (j) of work per second (s).
-Thanks to mechanical power we can calculate how quickly or slowly we can perform work in a certain period of time. An interesting fact when carrying out, for example, constructions of various kinds.
-In addition to the devices already mentioned, such as cranes, we have to know that there are many other machines in which the concept of mechanical power can be used and applied. By that we are referring to excavators, telescopic type manipulators and even forklifts.
– Mechanical power also appears in the elevator which, thanks to a motor, can lift up to three hundred kilograms of weight.