| A machine is any device that uses energy
to perform some activity. In common usage, the meaning is that of a device
having parts that perform or assist in performing any type of work. A simple
machine is a device that transforms the direction or magnitude of a force
without consuming any energy. The word "machine" is derived from the Latin
machina.
Historically, a device required moving
parts to be classified as a machine; however, the advent of electronics
technology has led to the development of devices without moving parts that
are considered machines—the computer being the most obvious example.
"Engines" are machines that convert
heat or other forms of energy into mechanical energy. For example, in an
internal combustion engine the expansion of gases caused by the heat from
an exothermic chemical reaction results in a force being applied to a movable
component, such as a piston or turbine blade.
Machines are ubiquitous in a wide variety
of industrial, commercial, residential and transportation applications.
Those employing hydraulics are especially useful in manufacturing and construction. |
