Simple Machines:
Once upon a time a person needed to move something heavy. He or she picked up a long stick and stuck
it under the edge of the heavy object and then pushed down on the other end of the stick. And the first
simple machine was invented. Simple machines are just that. The simplest form of using one thing to
accomplish something faster or better. A tool. They were the first ones created and we still use them
today.
There are 6 basic simple machines; the lever, the wheel and axle, the inclined plane, the wedge,
the pulley, and the screw. Several of these simple machines are related to each other. But, each has a
specific purpose in the world of doing work.
But what is work? Work is the amount of energy necessary to move an object. The further you move it,
the more work is required. Work is measured in Newtons.
The Lever
The lever is a long tool such as a pole or a rod put under an object to lift it. The lever is more efficient
when combined with a fulcrum. The fulcrum is another object, perhaps a rock, used to brace under the
long tool. This gives the long pole something to push down against. The location of the fulcrum helps
determine how well the lever will perform work. The closer the fulcrum is to the object being lifted, the
easier the person can lift the object. The longer the lever, the higher the object can be lifted. Do the
math — it's really all in the distance between the object, the fulcrum and the lever.
Levers are all around us. Some examples of levers are: door handles, the claws of a hammer (for
removing nails), crowbars, light switches, bottle openers and hinges.
The Wheel & Axle
The wheel has always been considered a major invention in the history of mankind. But it really would
not work as well as it does had it not been for the axle. An axle is a rod or pole centered in the wheel
that allows the wheel to turn around it. The wheel then spins in a balanced circle to be used as
transportation on a bike or to turn the hands of a clock. Gears are a form of the wheel and axle.
Wheels are found where things turn in a circle such as an electric fan, a motor, a revolving door, a merry
go round, and any wheel — on the car, on your skateboard, or on a bicycle.
The Inclined Plane
The inclined plane is simply a ramp. One end is higher than the opposite end. This allows things to go
from a low point to a higher point. Or vice versa. It takes the same amount of work, but less force, to
move an object up a ramp than to move it vertically. Gravity makes it easier to move an object down a
ramp than up that ramp.
Ramps are used in skateboard parks, wheelchair ramps and to get heavy equipment in and out of the
back of trucks. But a modified version of a ramp is also found in stairs, escalators, ladders, walking paths,
even chutes used for dropping your mail into the mailbox.
The Wedge
Some people might see the wedge as just an inclined plane, although it is actually two inclined planes.
However, the use of a wedge is actually different in nature. The wedge is used to separate an object
apart. This is needed to cut, tear or break something in two. A wedge can also be used to keep things
together or secure things from movement.
Some examples of wedges that are used for separating might be a shovel, a knife, an axe, a pick axe, a
saw, a needle, scissors, or an ice pick. But wedges can also hold things together as in the case of a staple,
push pins, tack, nail, doorstop, or a shim.
The Pulley
The pulley is actually a version of a wheel and axle that is combined with a rope, chain or other cord to
allow moving something up and down or back and forth. The pulley can be combined with other pulleys
to reduce the amount of work necessary to lift huge amounts of weight or to lower them down. It can
also make moving something such as a flag up the pole convenient to do from the ground. It changes
the direction of the force necessary to do the work. I pull down on the rope, but the flag goes up.
Pulleys are used in window blinds and drapery to move them up and down or back and forth. Pulleys are
also used on ships to raise and lower sails, in industry to raise and lower heavy cargo, or on cranes for
use in moving construction equipment. Elevators also use pulleys to move the car up and down from
floor to floor.
The Screw
The screw is really a twisted inclined plane. It allows movement from a lower position to a higher
position but at the same time it moves it in a circle. That makes it take up less horizontal space. A screw
can also act to hold things together in some cases.
Some examples of the uses of a screw are in a jar lid, a drill, a bolt, a light bulb, faucets, bottle caps and
ball point pens. Circular stairways are also a form of a screw.
Another use of the screw is in a device known as a screw pump. A huge screw shape is lowered into the
water and by turning the screw the water is moved up the twisted shaft and lifted to where it is needed.
Screw pumps are often used in agricultural settings such as farms and for irrigation.
