Study Guides

Science Study Guide: Simple Machines

The test will be given on Tuesday, March 26, 2024

(Simple Machine, Definition, Uses, Examples)

Lever: A stiff bar that rests on a turning point, or fulcrum; Sometimes our hand is used for the fulcrum when we hold a lever; 

To lift, push, or pull objects;

Seesaw, ice-cream scoop, shovel, rake, broom, hammer

Wheel and Axle: A wheel (or wheels) connected to a bar (axle); when the wheel is turned, the axle turns, too;

To move objects or change the speed or direction of a moving object;

Doorknob, pizza cutter, can opener, automobile, reel on a fishing pole

Pulley: A wheel (or wheels) with a grooved rim connected by a rope;

To move objects up, down, or across a long distance;

Flagpole, window blinds, pulling a bucket from a well

Inclined Plane: A flat surface that always has one end higher than the other end;

To move heavy objects;

Stairs, ramp, escalator, conveyer belts

Screw: An inclined plane wrapped around a central pole; as an object travels up or down a screw, it moves in a circle;

To hold things together, to cut things, or to raise and lower objects;

Screw, spiral waterslide, drill, auger, lid, cap, light bulb

Wedge: Looks like a movable inclined plane; wide at one end and tapers to a (usually) sharp point at the other end;

To separate things by cutting, piercing, or splitting OR to stop things from moving;

Knife, scissors, doorstop, teeth, needle, fishhook, axe

Other Concepts:

·      Work is done when a force (a push or a pull) is used to move something over a distance.

·      Some jobs require more work than other jobs (more force = more work).

·      Machines make work easier.

·      Machines may have few, many, or no moving parts.

·      The following are simple machines:  lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, screw, and wedge.

·      All machines are made up of one or more simple machines.