3 Basic Simple Machines:
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What is a
Lever?  |
Levers do what??? LEVERS do some neat things!! 1.) Levers help us move things. In the picture, the weight of the rock moves the fulcrum down so that when we push on the other side, the rock comes up without us having to carry the rock by ourselves!!! 2.) LEVERS also help us open doors. A door opens and closes with a hinge, which is a type of LEVER. The hinge moves back and forth because of the FULCRUM 3.) LEVERS help us open bottles. The edge of the bottle opener rests on the cap and then we lift the opposite end of the opener up and the cap pops off! Can you tell me which part is the FULCRUM? |
| What is a Pulley? A PULLEY is a simple machine that has a wheel with a groove built into it so that a rope or belt can move along it  |
Pulley's do what??? PULLEY's do many important things to help us everyday! 1.) A Crane is a type of PULLEY that picks up big objects like rocks or beams and pulls them up to the top of buildings. 2.) A Flagpole is a type of PULLEY that pulls the flag up from the bottom of the ground to the top of the flagpole for us to see. 3.) Blinds in your house are also an example of a PULLEY. We pull the cord and the blinds lift up to give us light! |
| What is an Inclined Plane?
An INCLINED PLANE is a flat surface that either slants or tilts.  |
Inclined Planes do what??? INCLINED PLANES are everywhere! See how they help: 1.) On your house, an INCLINED PLANE helps the rain and snow flow off your roof! 2.) Ramps are also INCLINED PLANES that help people in wheelchairs get to buildings and games! 3.) Ramps also help us carry HEAVY loads! 4.) Did you know that stairs are INCLINED PLANES? - Stairs help people move from low levels to high levels!! |
Modifications of these Basic
Machines gave us.....................???
Do we use Simple Machines everyday??? Click below to find out!!!
Examples of Simple Machines
| Tell me about the Wheel and Axle! An AXLE is the center part of a wheel that helps it turn. A WHEEL turns in a circular motion The WHEEL and the AXLE work as a team to move objects to other places!  |
What does the Wheel and Axle
do??? Wheels do crazy things!! 1.) WHEELS us move things. For example, the WHEELS of a wagon move us from place to place! 2.) Some WHEELS help other WHEELS move things. 3.) WHEELS help us get from one place to another. For example, the WHEELS on a bicycle help us get all around town! |
| Tell me about the Wedge! A wedge is a type of simple machine that uses FORCE to come between two different things, uses FORCE to SPLIT two things, and uses FORCE to make two things hold tightly together.  |
Wedge, Wedge, What's your
function??? Three main functions of a wedge are: 1) FORCE to come between two things. For example, A nail is a WEDGE that connects two pieces of wood. FORCE puts the nail in place! 2) FORCE to split two things. For example, An ax is a WEDGE that splits a log in two! 3) FORCE to make two things hold tightly together. For example, a WEDGE holds a door tightly in place! Can you think of more WACKY WEDGE functions?? |
| Tell me about the Screw! A SCREW is a simple machine that HOLDS two separate things together! A SCREW has RIDGES called THREADS. THREADS make grooves in the wood so that the SCREW stays put!  |
What do Screws do??? SCREWS have many functions. 1.) SCREWS hold parts of machines together. For example, SCREWS hold together video game machines like GameBoy and Playstation! 2.) SCREWS also lift things up. For example, a SCREW can lift up a piano swivel chair to make it higher for someone to sit on. 3.) SCREWS are used with important machines, such as DRILLS and GRAIN GRINDERS. In a GRAIN GRINDER, wheat berries are carried along a sprial thread path as you turn the crank, sending them to the crushing wheel. The crushing wheel is held together by another SCREW and NUT that grinds the wheat berries into flour after going through the spiral thread path! SCREWS do some pretty neat things! |
Do we use Simple Machines everyday??? Click below to find out!!!
Examples of Simple Machines