Pedal
Encyclopedia
The word pedal comes from the Latin (pes, Pedis) and relates to the foot.
A pedal is a lever
activated by one's foot. The term "foot pedal" is redundant, and should be avoided. Examples include:
In Transport:
In Music:
In Geometry:
A pedal is a lever
Lever
In physics, a lever is a rigid object that is used with an appropriate fulcrum or pivot point to either multiply the mechanical force that can be applied to another object or resistance force , or multiply the distance and speed at which the opposite end of the rigid object travels.This leverage...
activated by one's foot. The term "foot pedal" is redundant, and should be avoided. Examples include:
In Transport:
- Automobile pedalAutomobile pedalAn automobile may have two to four foot pedals. The arrangement is the same for both right- and left-hand traffic. From left to right:* normally operated by the left foot:**clutch pedal, not in the case of automatic transmission...
- Bicycle pedalBicycle pedalA bicycle pedal is the part of a bicycle that the rider pushes with their foot to propel the bicycle. It provides the connection between the cyclist's foot or shoe and the crank allowing the leg to turn the bottom bracket spindle and propel the bicycle's wheels...
- PedaloPedaloA paddle boat or "pedalo" is a form of waterborne transport, primarily for recreational use, powered through the use of pedals....
, a small boat, usually used for recreational purposes, powered by pedals - Rudder pedals, controlling aircraft rudders
In Music:
- Piano pedalsPiano pedalsPiano pedals are foot-operated levers at the base of a piano which change the instrument's sound in various ways. Modern pianos usually have three pedals, from left to right, the soft pedal , the sostenuto pedal , and the sustaining pedal...
- Pedal keyboard, on pipe and electronic organs, which contains approximately one dozen to three dozen pedals that resemble the keyboards (or "manuals"); when one of these pedals is depressed, it causes a note (or group of notes) to sound
- Pedal harpPedal harpThe pedal harp is a large and technically modern harp, designed primarily for classical music and played either solo, as part of chamber ensembles, as soloist with or as a section or member in an orchestra...
, the modern orchestral harp with pedals used to change the tuning of its strings - Effects pedal, used commonly for electric guitars
- Pedal pointPedal pointIn tonal music, a pedal point is a sustained tone, typically in the bass, during which at least one foreign, i.e., dissonant harmony is sounded in the other parts. A pedal point sometimes functions as a "non-chord tone", placing it in the categories alongside suspensions, retardations, and passing...
, a type of nonchord toneNonchord toneA nonchord tone, nonharmonic tone, or non-harmony note is a note in a piece of music which is not a part of the implied harmony that is described by the other notes sounding at the time...
, usually in the bass - Pedal tonePedal tonePedal tones are special notes in the harmonic series of cylindrical-bore brass instruments. A pedal tone has the pitch of its harmonic series' fundamental tone. Its name comes from the pedals of a pipe-organ. Cylindrical brasses do not naturally vibrate at this frequency.A closed cylinder...
, a fundamental tone played on brass instruments
In Geometry:
- Pedal trianglePedal triangleIn geometry, a pedal triangle is obtained by projecting a point onto the sides of a triangle.More specifically, consider a triangle ABC, and a point P that is not one of the vertices A, B, C. Drop perpendiculars from P to the three sides of the triangle...
, a triangle obtained by projecting a point onto the sides of a triangle - Pedal curvePedal curveIn the differential geometry of curves, a pedal curve is a curve derived by construction from a given curve ....
, a curve derived by construction from a given curve