Untitled

Simple machinesEdit

Main article: Simple machine

Table of simple mechanisms, fromChambers’ Cyclopædia, 1728.[12] Simple machines provide a “vocabulary” for understanding more complex machines.

The idea that a machine can be broken down into simple movable elements ledArchimedes to define the lever, pulley andscrew as simple machines. By the time of the Renaissance this list increased to include thewheel and axle, wedge and inclined plane.

EnginesEdit

Main article: engine

An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion.[13][14] Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines (such as steam engines) burn a fuelto create heat, which is then used to create motion. Electric motors convert electrical energy into mechanical motion, pneumatic motors use compressed air and others, such as wind-up toys use elastic energy. In biological systems, molecular motors likemyosins in muscles use chemical energy to create motion.

ElectricalEdit

Electrical means operating by or producing electricity, relating to or concerned with electricity. In other words, it means using, providing, producing, transmitting or operated by electricity.

Electrical machineEdit

Main article: Electrical machine

An electrical machine is the generic name for a device that converts mechanical energy toelectrical energy, converts electrical energy to mechanical energy, or changes alternating current from one voltage level to a different voltage level.

Electronic machineEdit

Main article: Electronics

Electronics is the branch of physics,engineering and technology dealing withelectrical circuits that involve active electrical components such as vacuum tubes,transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies. The nonlinear behaviour of active components and their ability to control electron flows makes amplification of weak signals possible and is usually applied toinformation and signal processing. Similarly, the ability of electronic devices to act as switches makes digital information processing possible. Interconnection technologies such as circuit boards, electronic packaging technology, and other varied forms of communication infrastructure complete circuit functionality and transform the mixed components into a workingsystem.

Computing machinesEdit

Main article: Computer

Computers are machines to processinformation, often in the form of numbers.Charles Babbage designed various machines to tabulate logarithms and other functions in 1837. His Difference engine can be considered an advanced mechanical calculator and his Analytical Engine a forerunner of the modern computer, though none were built in Babbage’s lifetime.

Modern computers are electronic ones. They use electric charge, current or magnetizationto store and manipulate information.Computer architecture deals with detailed design of computers. There are also simplified models of computers, like State machine and Turing machine.

Molecular machinesEdit

Study of the molecules and proteins that are the basis of biological functions has led to the concept of a molecular machine. For example, current models of the operation of the kinesin molecule that transports vesicles inside the cell as well as the myosin molecule that operates against actin to cause muscle contraction; these molecules control movement in response to chemical stimuli.

Researchers in nano-technology are working to construct molecules that perform movement in response to a specific stimulus. In contrast to molecules such as kinesin andmyosin, these nanomachines or molecular machines are constructions like traditional machines that are designed to perform in a task.