Simple Machines

TA B L E OF C O N T E N T S

ABOUT DELTA SCIENCE MODULES

Program Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii 5. The Wheel and Axle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Teacher’s Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv 6. Tractor Traction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Delta Science Readers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi 7. Gears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Equipment and Materials Kit . . . . . . . . . . vii 8. Pulleys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Scope and Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii 9. Inclined Planes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Assessment Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix 10. Wedges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Process Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x 11. Screws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Communicating About Science. . . . . . . . . xi 12. Domestic Simple Machines. . . . . . . . . 91
Integrating the Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . xii Assessment
Meeting the Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii Activities 1–12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
What We Believe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
SIMPLE MACHINES OVERVIEW DELTA SCIENCE READER
About Simple Machines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Overview Charts Before Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Hands-on Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Guide the Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Delta Science Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
After Reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Science Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Materials List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 TEACHER RESOURCES
Unit Test: Teacher Information . . . . . . . . . . 117
HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Activity Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Science Safety. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Standards Correlations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Preparing for the Activities
Classroom Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 COPYMASTERS
Advance Preparation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Student Activity Sheets
Materials Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Assessment Activity Sheets
Activities Assessment Summary Chart
1. Doing Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 School-Home Connection
2. Levers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Unit Test
3. Friction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4. Inventing the Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

i
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About Simple Machines
DeltaScienceModules, THIRD EDITION

S tudents explore Simple Machines with twelve hands-on

activities and the Delta Science Reader. By measuring force
as they lift, push, and pull loads, your class will determine
the mathematical relationship between force and work.
Students build and/or operate classroom versions of the
six simple machines: lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined
plane, wedge, and screw. They investigate how (and
how much) each one makes work easier by magnifying,
modifying, transferring, or changing the direction of the
applied force. By calculating such factors as gear ratios
and the negative effects of friction, students discover the
tradeoff between force and distance. Students also identify
and examine household or other everyday simple machines.

In the Delta Science Reader Simple Machines, students

explore the world of simple machines and the energy
that makes them work. Students read about the six simple
machines—the inclined plane, the lever, the wheel and
axle, the pulley, the wedge, and the screw—and understand
the difference between simple and compound machines.
In biographical sketches, students meet ancient Greek
mathematician Archimedes and modern inventor Lillian
Gilbreth, and discover how they put simple machines to
work. Students also read about the scientific formula for
calculating work, the many levers in the human body, and
how a roller coaster works.

Simple Machines 1
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 Overview Chart for Hands-on Activities
Hands-on Activity Student Objectives
1 Doing Work • measure the force required to move an object
• measure the distance the object was moved
page 13
• calculate how much work was done when the object was moved a measured distance

2 Levers • construct a lever

page 19 • investigate the mechanical advantage of a lever by experimenting with the
position of the fulcrum, load, and effort

3 Friction • observe the effects of friction

page 25 • examine variables that increase and decrease friction
• discover one method of reducing friction

4 Inventing the Wheel • measure the amount of force needed to move an object a certain distance
page 33 • predict how using wheels will affect the amount of force needed to move that
same object the same distance
• observe how even the most primitive wheels reduce the amount of force needed
to move an object, and thereby the amount of work performed

5 The Wheel and Axle • assemble a tractor

page 39 • investigate the transfer of force between the axles and the wheels of the tractor
• discover the mechanical advantage of a wheel and axle simple machine

6 Tractor
page 49
Traction • discover how traction affects the forward motion of a rotating object
• discover how friction affects the distance a rotating object will travel

7 Gears • examine the structure of a gear

page 57 • observe how gears interact to transfer force
• discuss gear ratio

• construct a simple pulley

8 Pulleys • measure the force required to lift an object, with and without the use of a pulley
page 65
• observe that a pulley reverses the direction of applied force

9 Inclined Planes • measure the amount of force needed to do a given amount of work, with and
page 71 without the use of an inclined plane
• discover how an inclined plane enables them to use less force to do about the
same amount of work by distributing the force over a greater distance
• observe the use of inclined planes in wedges
10 Wedges • use a wedge to perform work
page 77
• observe how wedges make doing work easier

11 Screws • build a model of a screw by wrapping an inclined plane around a cylinder

page 83 • compare the force used to drive a screw with that used to drive a nail
• discuss how screws make work easier

12 Domestic Simple • identify examples of simple machines found in the home

• discuss the features of these household devices that make them simple machines
Machines
page 91 • design and construct a mobile

Assessment • See page 97.

page 97

2 delta science modules

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 Simple Machines
Delta Science
Process Skills Vocabulary Reader
measure, compare, use force, joule, newton, work pages 2, 3
numbers, collect data

make and use models, infer arm, effort, fulcrum, lever, load, machine, pages 5–6, 14
mechanical advantage, simple machine

observe, use variables, infer friction, lubricant page 2

measure, predict, observe wheel pages 7, 10, 15

make and use models, axle page 7

predict, infer

predict, measure, infer traction pages 2, 11

observe, communicate driven gear, driving gear, gear, gear ratio pages 10–11

make and use models, measure, pulley pages 8, 10, 15

observe

measure, infer inclined plane, ramp page 4

observe, make and use models wedge page 9

make and use models, compare, screw, thread pages 9, 12

measure, communicate

classify, communicate, make and mobile page 4

use models

See the following page for the Delta

Science Reader Overview Chart.

Simple Machines 3
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 Overview Chart for Delta Science Reader
Simple Machines
Related
Selections Vocabulary
Activity
Think About...
What Makes Things Move? force, friction, gravity, inertia, motion, 1
page 2 newton, speed

How Are Work and Energy Related? distance, energy, joule, kinetic energy, 1, 3
page 3 potential energy, work

What Are Simple Machines? efficiency, effort, fulcrum, inclined plane, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7,

• Inclined Plane lever, machine, pulley, resistance, screw, 8, 9, 10, 11
• Lever simple machine, wedge, wheel and axle
• Wheel and Axle
• Pulley
• Wedge
• Screw
pages 4–9

What Are Compound Machines? compound machine 12

page 10

People in Science
• Archimedes 2
page 12

• Lillian Gilbreth
page 13

Did You Know?

• Your Body Has Levers 2
page 14

• How a Roller Coaster Works 8

page 15

See pages 105–115 for teaching suggestions

for the Delta Science Reader.

4 delta science modules

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 M ATERIALS LIST
Simple Machines
Quantity Description Quantity Description
8. . . . . . . . bricks, half† TEACHER-PROVIDED ITEMS
16 . . . . . . . . cups, plastic 32 . . . . . . . . books
40 . . . . . . . . dowels 8 . . . . . . . . hammers
1. . . . . . . . fishing line, 100 m 1 . . . . . . . . hole punch
8. . . . . . . . fulcrums 8 . . . . . . . . index cards, 3 in. × 5 in.
8. . . . . . . . gear bases 8 . . . . . . . . markers, wide
1. . . . . . . . gear cover 8 . . . . . . . . metersticks
8. . . . . . . . gear handles 8 . . . . . . . . paper, sheets*
8. . . . . . . . gear pointers – . . . . . . . . paper towels*
8. . . . . . . . gears, large 8 . . . . . . . . pencils
8. . . . . . . . gears, medium 8 . . . . . . . . rulers, metric
8. . . . . . . . gears, small 32 . . . . . . . . safety goggles
24 . . . . . . . . hex nuts 8 . . . . . . . . scissors
1. . . . . . . . nails, p/64* 8 . . . . . . . . screwdrivers, flat-slot
4. . . . . . . . paper clips, p/100 8 . . . . . . . . wood, scraps*
8. . . . . . . . pegboard beams
1. . . . . . . . petroleum jelly, 1 oz*
8. . . . . . . . pulleys
8. . . . . . . . rivets*
1. . . . . . . . rubber bands, long, p/25
1. . . . . . . . rubber bands, short, p/25
1. . . . . . . . rubber bands, wide, p/25
8. . . . . . . . sandpaper, sheets*
32 . . . . . . . . screws*
8. . . . . . . . spring scales
1. . . . . . . . string, 129 m*
1. . . . . . . . tape, masking*
1. . . . . . . . thread*
8. . . . . . . . tractor kits
16 . . . . . . . . waxed paper, 30 cm × 30 cm*
8. . . . . . . . wooden boards†

1 . . . . . . . . Teacher’s Guide
8 . . . . . . . . Delta Science Readers

* = consumable item † = in separate box

To order consumable items or refill kits, please call 1-800-442-5444. Simple Machines 7
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A CTIVITY SUMMARY
This Delta Science Module begins an ACTIVITY 6 Students discover that friction can
investigation of simple machines by be useful. They experiment with traction
introducing students to the concepts of force (moving friction) and how it improves the
and work. performance of their tractors.

ACTIVITY 1 Students determine the amount of ACTIVITY 7 Students look at a special type of
force necessary to move objects. Then they wheel called a gear. They examine the structure
learn how to calculate the amount of work done of a gear and observe how force that is applied
when an object is moved over a measured to a driving gear is transferred to a driven gear.
distance. They discuss gear ratio and how it affects the
distance each gear will move.
ACTIVITY 2 Students examine the lever, the
first of six types of simple machines. They ACTIVITY 8 Students examine a third type of
construct a lever and discover the mechanical simple machine: the pulley. They observe how a
advantage of this device: that they can move an pulley redirects applied force, enabling them to
object with less effort simply by repositioning lift an object by pulling down on a string.
the fulcrum.
ACTIVITY 9 Students conduct an investigation
ACTIVITY 3 Students examine friction—the of inclined planes—a fourth type of simple
number-one enemy of machines. They observe machine. They perform experiments and
how friction increases the amount of force discover that the inclined plane allows them to
necessary to move objects and do work. They do the same amount of work while exerting
also experiment with surfaces that produce less effort.
varying degrees of friction, as well as observe
one method of reducing friction. ACTIVITY 10 Students discuss the properties of
the wedge that enable it to be classified as a
ACTIVITY 4 Students discover how even the fifth type of simple machine. They discover that
most primitive wheels reduce the amount of a wedge is comprised of two or more inclined
friction between an object and the surface over planes positioned to form a point, and that the
which it moves, thereby reducing the amount of tip of a nail is actually a wedge, which makes it
force necessary to move the object. easier to drive into wood than a blunt-ended
rivet.
ACTIVITY 5 Students continue their
examination of the wheel and are introduced to ACTIVITY 11 Students examine the screw—a
another simple machine—the wheel and axle. sixth type of simple machine. Students discover
While experimenting with a tractor, they that a screw consists of an inclined plane
discover that force is transferred between the wrapped around a cylinder. They compare the
axle and the wheel and the tractor moves. relative force used to drive a screw with that
Taking a closer look at the forces involved, they used to drive a nail, and discover how screws
see that force is decreased when transferred make work easier.
from the axle to the wheel (as in the tractor)
and magnified when transferred from the wheel ACTIVITY 12 Students compare lists of simple
to the axle (as in a screwdriver). They then machines found in the home. They then build a
examine a screwdriver to see how it makes use mobile from dowels.
of this mechanical advantage.

Simple Machines 9
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