Simple Machines

S4P3. Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about the relationship between balanced and unbalanced forces.

  1. Plan and carry out an investigation on the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on an object and communicate the results.

  2. Construct an argument to support the claim that gravitational force affects the motion of an object.

  3. Ask questions to identify and explain the uses of simple machines (lever, pulley, wedge, inclined plane, wheel and axle, and screw) and how forces are changed when simple machines are used to complete tasks.

(Clarification statement: The use of mathematical formulas is not expected.)


Students will demonstrate the relationship between the application of a force and the resulting change in position and motion on an object.

Forces have observable effects on objects. Different-sized objects are affected differently by the same force.

Forces are balanced when they are equal and act in opposite directions.

Unbalanced forces cause a change in an object’s motion.

Gravity affects the motion of an object by pulling it down toward the center of Earth.

Force and Motion
F&M Vocabulary.docx
powerpoint simple machines.ppt

Vocabulary Flip book - must include word on the outside, definition and a picture on the inside. All flip books must be colored and open like a book.

Start Simple Machines
SimpleMachinesPPT with notes

Students must understand the 6 simple machines: Wedge, Wheel and Axle, Lever, Inclined Plane, Screw, Pulley.