Fatigue occurs when materials rupture under repeated or fluctuating loads, even at stress levels far below their static breaking strength. It typically results in brittle failure, even for ductile materials. It is a critical consideration in designing machines and structural components subjected to repetitive or varying loads. The nature of these loadings can range from fluctuating loads like unbalanced pump impellers causing vibrations to repeatedly bending a thin steel rod wire back and forth...

Triglycerides are a form of long-term energy storage molecules. They are made of glycerol and three fatty acids. To obtain energy from fat, triglycerides must first be broken down by hydrolysis into their two principal components, fatty acids and glycerol. This process, called lipolysis, takes place in the cytoplasm. The resulting fatty acids are oxidized by β-oxidation into acetyl-CoA, which is used by the Krebs cycle. The glycerol that is released from triglycerides after lipolysis directly...

When a mechanic tries to remove a hex nut with a wrench, it is easier if the force is applied at the farthest end of the wrench handle. The lever arm is the distance from the pivot point (the hex nut in this case) to the person’s hand. If this distance is large, the torque is higher. Only the component of the force perpendicular to the lever arm contributes to the torque. Therefore, pushing the wrench perpendicular to the lever arm is more advantageous. If multiple people apply force to rotate...

In a beam of charged particles created by a heated cathode, the particles move at different speeds. However, many applications need a beam with uniform particle speeds. An arrangement known as a velocity selector uses electric and magnetic fields to pick particles with a particular speed from the beam.
A particle with charge q, speed v, and mass m enters an area from the top, where the magnetic and electric fields are perpendicular both to the particle's motion and to one another. The magnetic...

Faraday's law state that the induced emf is the negative change in the magnetic flux per unit of time. Any change in the magnetic field or change in the orientation of the area of the coil with respect to the magnetic field induces a voltage (emf). The magnetic flux measures the number of magnetic field lines through a given surface area. Magnetic flux is estimated from the integral of the dot product of the magnetic field vector and the area vector. The negative sign describes the direction in...

Generators convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, whereas motors convert electrical energy into mechanical energy. A motor works by sending a current through a loop of wire located in a magnetic field. As a result, the magnetic field exerts a torque on the loop. This rotates a shaft, extracting mechanical work from the electrical current sent in initially. When the coil of a motor is turned, magnetic flux changes through the coil, and an emf (consistent with Faraday's law) is induced.