Equipment Definition & Meaning

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What is equipment

The idea of a device like this is to amplify the force applied on one end to do significant work on the other end. By this definition, simple tools such as a hammer and wheelbarrow are types of levers. Similarly, an ax is a wedge while a corkscrew is a type of inclined plane.

What is equipment

While all these terms are often used interchangeably, there are slight nuances between them. In this post, we’ll define what tools, equipment, and machines are with examples of each of them in order to better them. For every construction project, you’ll need to hire a variety of tools, machines, and equipment to get the job done. The word equipment can be used to describe objects or items that are not used to do work. For instance, a set of safety devices such as gloves, helmets, or goggles are often referred to as safety equipment.

More meanings of equipment

Going by this generic definition, it might be safe to say that every machine or equipment is a tool in some way. However, more specifically, people use the word “tools” to refer to handheld items used to do work or solve problems. As humans evolved, we developed devices to make tasks easier for us. The general terms that we use to describe these devices include tools, equipment, and machine.

Examples of equipment in manufacturing include lathes, drills, presses, and conveyors. Manufacturing is the process of converting components and/or raw materials into finished products.

What is the difference between tools, equipment and machine?

These days, the modern definition of a machine would apply to any device powered by mechanical, chemical, thermal, or electrical energy. Machines now consist of several mechanized parts that use energy to achieve a particular goal. Modern machines are specifically designed and assembled to be used for a specific purpose. This would imply that while all machines are tools, not all tools are machines.

A machine is an object or device used to transform the direction of a force or increase its magnitude. The term implies a more precise design and application than the more generic usage of “tools”. Ancient scientists classified simple machines into levers, pulleys, inclined planes, wedges, and screws based on the principle of mechanical advantage.

What is Equipment? Definition and examples

It doesn’t matter if the object is built for that specific purpose or not. A chimpanzee making use of a stick to get a fruit from a tree is using that stick as a tool. Similarly, a prehistoric man lighting a fire with a stone is using that stone as a tool. The same stone can also be fashioned into a club for breaking nuts or as a weapon for fighting off wild animals.

  • The general terms that we use to describe these devices include tools, equipment, and machine.
  • I cannot say “one equipment, two equipments..,” but I can say “one piece of equipment, two pieces of equipment, etc.” because piece is a countable noun.
  • It doesn’t matter if the object is built for that specific purpose or not.
  • A chimpanzee making use of a stick to get a fruit from a tree is using that stick as a tool.
  • Going by this generic definition, it might be safe to say that every machine or equipment is a tool in some way.

The army, air force, and navy have personal equipment such as uniforms, helmets, sleeping bags, boots, etc. Gloves, helmets, bats, shin-pads, and balls are examples of equipment for baseball or cricket. Items of equipment vary in size considerably, from tiny screwdrivers to giant cranes used by the construction industry.

Commonly Misspelled Words

They may be automated, manual, simple, complex, and can serve many different functions. Say you have a broken blender and you want to pry it open by loosening the screw that holds the parts together. You could use a screwdriver, which is the standard tool for a task like this. However, if you do not have a screwdriver around, you may end up using a pocket knife. In this case, the pocket knife is the tool with which you unscrew the bolt. Examples of combat equipment are tanks, machine guns, fighter planes, helicopters, rifles, ammunition, assault boats, night vision goggles, and missiles.

Etymologies for Every Day of the Week

The word “tool” is used to describe general items that people use to do work in any situation. The usage of the word connotes a generic object that can be used for a variety of purposes. A tool is typically a single object designed in a way that makes it suitable for multiple purposes. We can often interchange the terms equipment and machinery, although machinery typically includes larger items. I cannot say “one equipment, two equipments..,” but I can say “one piece of equipment, two pieces of equipment, etc.” because piece is a countable noun. From this example, it is obvious that any object you use to solve a problem is a tool.

Types of equipment

Examples of machines include concrete cement mixers, power cutting machines, welder generators, inverters, and so on. A lighting tower hire or air conditioner hire for your construction project would also qualify as a machine. The word Equipment may refer to machinery, devices, instruments, tools, and sports gear. Things that we use to perform various activities or tasks are typically pieces of equipment. Equipment is a general time with a broader definition compared to tools and equipment. People often use the word equipment as the plural form of tool.