Question

1. what would happen to the size and shape of a motion graph when you scale the cam size (nominal diameter) larger? smaller? your answer

Explanation:

In the context of cam motion (a topic in Engineering, a subfield of Natural Science), when scaling the cam's nominal diameter (size):

• Larger Cam: The motion graph (representing displacement, velocity, or acceleration over time) will have a larger amplitude (size) because a larger cam radius leads to a greater range of motion (e.g., more lift in a cam - follower system). The shape (the pattern of motion, like the type of curve - sinusoidal, trapezoidal, etc.) remains the same in terms of its functional form (e.g., if it was a sinusoidal motion profile, it stays sinusoidal) but is stretched in the amplitude dimension.
• Smaller Cam: The amplitude of the motion graph decreases (smaller size) as the cam radius is smaller, resulting in less range of motion. The shape of the motion graph (the underlying motion profile) remains unchanged in its form, just compressed in the amplitude.

Answer:

When the cam size (nominal diameter) is scaled larger, the size (amplitude) of the motion graph increases while the shape (motion profile form) remains the same. When scaled smaller, the size (amplitude) of the motion graph decreases while the shape remains the same.