How Simple Machines Work

What is a and how do they work? I"m so glad you asked! Machines make work easier by changing the size of force, direction of force, or distance the force acts on.

Lifting a car with a flat tire and loosening the lugnuts can be accomplished by a single person thanks to simple machines. The jack and lug wrench are simple machines that alter the force needed to change the tire.

Six Simple Machines

Simple machines are basic devices used to alter the force needed to accomplish a task. There are six types of simple machines.

• lever
• wheel and axle
• inclined plane
• wedge
• screw
• pulley

The first type of simple machine is the lever. A lever is a rigid bar that rotates on the fixed point of a fulcrum and changes the distance or size of a force.

There are three classes of levers. A first class lever has an input force and output force on either side of the fulcrum. This causes the output to move in the opposite direction of the the input force. An example of a first class lever is a see-saw. A second class lever has an output force between the input force and fulcrum. This changes the distance of the force. A wheelbarrow is a second class lever. The third class lever has the input force between the output and fulcrum. A broom is a third class lever.

Wheel and Axle

The wheel and axle make work easier by changing the distance the force acts on. A wheel and axle consists of two disks or

cylinders with different radiuses. Examples are a steering wheel and shaft, a car wheel and axle, and a screwdriver.

Inclined Plane

An is a slanted surface on which a force can move an object to a different elevation. Why do gentler slopes and ramps require less energy to move a load on? Because the input force required to travel the greater distance of a slope is changed to the smaller distance of the output force – the upward motion.

A wedge is a device made of two back to back inclined planes and is used to split objects. When a wedge is driven into a log, the size of the input force at the wider top of the wedge is changed to greater output force at the narrower point forcing the wedge through the wood. Knife blades are an example of a wedge.

A screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder. Screws with threads closer together require

less force to turn because the length of the inclined plane is longer. Nuts and bolts are screws. A nut is a screw with the threads on the inside.

The last type of simple machine is the pulley. A pulley consists of a rope that fits into a groove in a wheel. A pulley makes work easier by changing the direction or direction and size of the force.

There are three . They are the fixed pulley, moveable pulley and pulley system.

The fixed pulley is a single fixed pulley and rope. This changes the output direction of the force, making it opposite of the input. When you pull down on a fixed pulley a weight is lifted up.

A moveable pulley is fixed to the object being moved instead of a fixed location. Moveable pulleys multiply the input force needed to lift a heavy object thus reducing the force needed to lift heavy objects. Moveable pulleys are used to move ship sails and window washer platforms.

Pulley systems combine fixed and moveable pulleys to create large mechanical advantages. A crane uses pulley systems to lift enormous loads like locomotives.

References

• Michael Wysession, David Frank, Sophia Yancopoulos. Physical Science Concepts in Action. p.417 – 435. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2004.

Simple machines are extremely important to everyday life. They make stuff that is normally difficult a piece of cake. There are several types of simple machines. The first simple machine is a lever. A lever consists of a fulcrum, load, and effort force. A fulcrum is the support. The placing of the fulcrum changes the amount of force and distance it will take in order to move an object. The load is the applied force. The effort force is the force applied on the opposite side of the load.

Levers can be placed in three classes. The 1st class levers are objects like pliers where the fulcrum is at the center of the lever. The 2nd class of levers are objects that have the fulcrum on the opposite side of the applied force like a nutcracker. The 3rd and final class is objects like crab claws. These objects of the load at one end and the fulcrum on the other.

An inclined plane is another simple machine.

Inclined planes are also known as ramps. Ramps make a trade off between distance and force. No matter how steep the ramp, the work is still the same. A winding road on a mountain side is a good example of a ramp. Some simple machines are modified inclined planes. The wedge is one of those machines. One or two inclined planes make up a wedge. Saws, knives,needles, and axes are made from wedges. The screw is another modified inclined plane. Screws decrease the force but increase the distance. The ridges are called threads. A couple of simple machines are made with wheels. The wheel and axle is one of these machines.

These are made with a rod joined to the center of a wheel. They can either increase distance or force, depending on the size of the wheel. The pulley is another machine that uses wheels. The are a wheel with a groove in the center with a rope or chain stretched around it. The load attaches to one end and the effort is applied to the other on all pulleys. There are two types of pulleys. The fixed pulley stays in one place while the wheel spins. Movable pulleys attach to objects. Several pulleys can be used at one time. A good example of a pulley system is an escalator. Simple machines make up compound machines. We use these machines daily. Life would be difficult without simple machines.

Cite this page

Simple Machines. (2016, Dec 12). Retrieved from ">APA "Simple Machines." StudyMoose , 12 Dec 2016, ">MLA StudyMoose. (2016). Simple Machines . . Available at: ">Harvard "Simple Machines." StudyMoose, Dec 12, 2016. Accessed January 17, 2020.

Easier - A simple machine is a device that helps make work easier; a device that makes it easier to move something. Some simple machines are a wheel, a pulley, a lever, a screw, and an inclined plane. Harder - Most machines consist of a number of elements, such as gears and ball bearings, that work together in a complex way. No matter how complex a machine, it is still based on the compounding of six types of simple machines. The six types of machines are the lever, the wheel and axle, the pulley, the inclined plane, the wedge, and the screw. Background Information for Simple Machines from National Museum of Science and Technology , Canada http://www.science-tech.nmstc.ca/english/schoolzone/Info_Simple_Machines.cfm Here you can find the answers to some commonly asked questions about simple machines. The Elements of Machines: Simple Machines from Leonardo"s Workshop http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/InventorsToolbox.html Learn about devices that make work easier to do by providing some tradeoff between the force applied and the distance over which the force is applied. Also provides a brief introduction to uses of a gear, cam, crank and rod, chain and belt, and the ratchet. Levers from Beakman & Jax http://www.beakman.com/lever/lever.html Play with levers and find out how work from the fulcrum to the load to the effort. (Wait for second page to come) Marvelous Machines http://www.galaxy.net:80/~k12/machines/index.shtml This website provides a series of experiments about simple machines: levers, wheels and inclined planes. They were developed for third grade students. (Comes up slowly )

After exploring some or all of the websites below, complete one or more of these activities: Investigate Wheels with Your Bicycle. Go to PBS Teachersource"s website and use your bicycle to learn about the wheel. Find Out How Stuff Works. Check out How Stuff Works . Look for a device that uses a simple machine as part of how it works. Create a poster showing how it works. Gear Up with a Tricycle & Bicycle. Visit PBS Teachersource"s site and follow the procedures there to learn a lot more about gears. Complete a Simple Machines WebQuest. Follow or adapt the procedures found at one of these webQuest sites: 1) Exploring Simple Machines by Paula Markowitz (Grade 4) http://www.lakelandschools.org/EDTECH/Machines/Machines.htm 2) Simple Machines http://www.eng.iastate.edu/twt/Course/packet/labs/wheels&leverLab.htm 3) Simple Machines WebQuest (Grade 4-6) http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us/hschool/webq/webq8/jjquest.htm 4) Simple Machines http://www.beth.k12.pa.us/schools/wwwclass/mcosgrove/simple.htm 5) Simple Machines Webquest http://www.jsd.k12.ak.us/ab/el/simplemachines.html Complete an Online Simple Machines Activity. Learn more about simple machines by following the directions at A Time for Simple Machines . You may also want to test your knowledge at Gadget Anatomy . Complete Some Simple Machine Experiments. Find lots of experiments at sites like Marvelous Machines and Motion, Energy and Simple Machines .

Websites For Kids Simple Machine Page for Kids http://www.san-marino.k12.ca.us/~summer1/machines/simplemachines.html This is a page on simple machines for kids with pictures. Simple Machines (Part of a ThinkQuest project: E"Ville Mansion! ) http://library.thinkquest.org/3447/simpmach.htm Learn about four simple machines (Inclined planes, pulley systems, levers, and the wheel and axle). All are mechanisms that convert energy to a more useful form. More Simple Machine Websites Mechanisms and Simple Machines from Introduction to Mechanisms at Carnegie Mellon University http://www.cs.cmu.edu/People/rapidproto/mechanisms/chpt2.html Here is advanced level material that covers inclined planes, gears, pulleys, and more. Motion, Energy and Simple Machines by J.S. Mason http://www.necc.mass.edu/MRVIS/MR3_13/start.htm This site investigates Newton"s Laws of Motion and the concepts of potential and kinetic energy. The concepts of force, friction, energy transfer, and mechanical advantage are explored as you build simple machines and investigate there operation. Oh No Lego® Wedgies! from Weird Richard http://weirdrichard.com:80/wedge.htm Explore the wedge, the active twin of the inclined plane. It does useful work by moving. In contrast, the inclined plane always remains stationary. Related Websites from Weird Richard: 2) Ladies and Gentlemen...The Inclined Plane! http://weirdrichard.com/inclined.htm 3) Oh Goody, Even More on Gears! http://weirdrichard.com/gears.htm 3) Those Crazy Lego® Screws! http://weirdrichard.com/screw.htm This site houses a collection of over seventy photographs of common, everyday simple machines. Simple Machines Demo (Pulley and Levers) http://www.cwru.edu/artsci/phys/courses/demos/simp.htm This demonstration explores the mechanical advantage of pulleys and levers and evaluates the concept of torque. Spotlight on Simple Machines from "inQuiry Almanack " at Franklin Institute http://sln.fi.edu/qa97/spotlight3/spotlight3.html Here you learn about simple machines that make work easier: inclined plane, lever, wedge, screw, pulley, and the wheel and axle. Websites for Teachers A First-Class Job http://www.aimsedu.org/Activities/oldSamples/FirstClass/job1.html What happens when the position of the fulcrum on a first-class lever is changed? Bicycles by J.P. Crotty from Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute http://pclt.cis.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1987/6/87.06.01.x.html#h This is the site of a narrative unit plan that begins with the circle and proceeds to investigation of simple machines using the bicycle. Sketching Gadget Anatomy at The Museum of Science http://www.mos.org/sln/Leonardo/SketchGadgetAnatomy.html The idea for this lesson is that close observation and sketching lead to a better understanding of how machines work. Simple Machines (Grades 3-4) by C. Huddle http://www.lerc.nasa.gov/WWW/K- 12/Summer_Training/KaeAvenueES/SIMPLE_MACHINES.html These activities are designed to give students experiences in using simple machines. Similar Websites: 2) Simple Machines (Grade 3) by L. Wilkins http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/ylp/Units/Curriculum_Units/95-96/Simple_Machines_LWilkins/identify_simple_machines.html 3) Simple Machines (Grades 4-8) by B. Campbell

Topic: Simple Machines PSSA: 3.4.7.C / S8.C.3.1

Objective: TLW compare different types of simple machines. TLW compare different types of simple machines. TLW explain the difference between a simple machine and a compound machine. TLW explain the difference between a simple machine and a compound machine.

MI #1: Levers A lever is a simple machine that has a bar that pivots on a fixed point called a fulcrum. A lever is a simple machine that has a bar that pivots on a fixed point called a fulcrum. Levers are classified based on the location of the input force, load, and the fulcrum. Levers are classified based on the location of the input force, load, and the fulcrum.

MI #2: Classes of Levers First class levers have the fulcrum between the input force and the load. First class levers have the fulcrum between the input force and the load. - Includes see-saws Second class levers have the load between the input force and the fulcrum. Second class levers have the load between the input force and the fulcrum. - Includes wheelbarrows Third class levers have the input force between the load and the fulcrum. Third class levers have the input force between the load and the fulcrum. - Includes hammers and fishing poles

Mi #3: Pulleys A pulley is a simple machine that has a grooved wheel that holds a rope or a chain. A pulley is a simple machine that has a grooved wheel that holds a rope or a chain. There are three types of pulleys; fixed, movable, and block and tackle. There are three types of pulleys; fixed, movable, and block and tackle.

MI #4: Wheel and Axle A wheel and axle consists of two circular objects of different sizes that rotate on the same axis. A wheel and axle consists of two circular objects of different sizes that rotate on the same axis. The axle rotates a smaller distance than the wheel, which results in a greater output force. The axle rotates a smaller distance than the wheel, which results in a greater output force.

MI #5: Inclined Planes An inclined plane is a straight slanted surface. An inclined plane is a straight slanted surface. A wedge is a pair of inclined planes that move. A wedge is a pair of inclined planes that move. A screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder. A screw is an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder.

MI #6: Compound Machines A compound machine is a machine that is made of two or more simple machines working together. A compound machine is a machine that is made of two or more simple machines working together. Because compound machines have more moving parts, their mechanical efficiency is typically low. Because compound machines have more moving parts, their mechanical efficiency is typically low.

So What…? Real Life Application Machines make work easier, so it is important to understand the different types of simple machines. Machines make work easier, so it is important to understand the different types of simple machines.

What do a bicycle and a car have in common? They both move using the simple machine wheel and axle. In this lesson, students learn about how this simple machine works, and will identify objects that use a wheel and axle.

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Materials and preparation

Related books and/or media

Key terms

• simple machine
• wheel

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to explain how the wheel and axle work as a simple machine. Students will be able to identify objects which use the wheel and axle.

Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling

(15 minutes)

• Distribute small toy cars that have wheels joined by axles to groups of students. Kick-start a discussion with some questions about the toy car mechanics, such as: How do these toy cars move? How are the wheels on each side of the car joined to each other?
• Have a student volunteer point to the rod that holds the two wheels together. Explain that the bar that joins two wheels is called an axle .
• Tell students that they will be learning about wheels and axles.
• Hold up the doorknob, explaining that it is an everyday example of a wheel and axle.
• Challenge the students to help you identify the wheel and axle in the doorknob. Listen as different students call out their guesses.
• After some speculation, tell students that the knob that turns is the wheel. The inner rod that is attached to the knob is the axle.
• Demonstrate how the wheel and axle works by turning the knob (wheel). That turns the inner rod (axle) and moves the latch, to open the door.

Guided Practice

(15 minutes)

• To consolidate student thinking, set up activity stations with play dough and a rolling pin.
• Let students practice flattening the dough with the pin.
• Guide them to express these understandings: The rolling pin is a wheel and axle. When you push on the handles (the axle) the wheel turns and flattens out the dough.
• Challenge students to think of other common machines that have one wheel like the rolling pin. Great examples include a wheelbarrow, a top, and a playground merry-go-round.

Independent working time

(15 minutes)

• Pass out a copy of the Wheel and Axle worksheet to each student to complete independently.
• Walk around the classroom to offer support to students who get stuck.

Differentiation

• Enrichment: Have students who need more of a challenge read a history of other simple machines, and fill out an accompanying word search.
• Support: Put students who need more support into pairs to complete the Wheel and Axle worksheet.

Assessment

(10 minutes)

• Collect the worksheets that the students have filled out, and correct them using the Wheel and Axle answer sheet.

Review and closing

(5 minutes)

• In summary, remind students that the rolling pin is a wheel and axle. When you push on the handles (the axle) the wheel turns and flattens out the dough.
• Challenge students to think of other common machines that have one wheel like the rolling pin, such as a wheelbarrow, top, and merry-go-round.
• Remind your class that the wheel and axle is only one of six common simple machines that help things move. For homework or additional independent work, consider encouraging students to learn more about other kinds of simple machines.