Which concept describes a machine's ability to multiply force?

The concept that describes a machine's ability to multiply force is mechanical advantage. This principle indicates how much a machine can amplify an input force to produce a larger output force. Essentially, when a machine has a mechanical advantage greater than one, it allows a user to exert a smaller input force over a greater distance, resulting in a larger output force in return.

For example, in a lever, if the input force is applied far from the fulcrum, the lever enables the user to lift a heavier load closer to the fulcrum. This relationship highlights how mechanical advantage enables machines to perform work more easily than manual exertion alone.

Efficiency relates to how well a machine converts input energy into useful work, but it does not specifically address the multiplication of force. Power refers to the rate at which work is done, and work involves the exertion of force over a distance, neither of which specifically encapsulate the idea of force multiplication.