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Simple Machines and Motor Lessons for Students

Complex machines consist of a variety of moving parts. These parts include gears, cams, levers, wheels, cranks, belts, and more. Machines provide certain types of movement to chosen locations from a force applied from somewhere else. There are some machines which simply convert one motion to another. There may seem to be a never-ending assortment of machines but they are all created using simple machines. Simple machines include wheels and axles, levers, planes, screws, and pulleys. Every machine has limitations in how well it will work and no machine is 100 percent in its efforts. Because of this, the mechanical benefit added must be considered worthy of the added energy necessary for completing the job.Inclined planes decrease the power required to lift something a specified height is lessened by increasing the space over which that same force must be applied. Imagine yourself lifting an object that weighs twice as much as you do onto a shelf at about four feet high. Now imagine pushing the same object up a slightly sloped surface. Pushing the object up the slope would be a lot easier. Most commonly, inclined planes are used in devices that cut and two of them are often put with their backs to each other in order to form wedges. With wedges, forward movements are converted into parting movements vertical to the blades face. Zippers are simply lower wedges combined used for closing and an upper wedge used for opening.

There are three interest points in levers: fulcrums, loads, and efforts. Fulcrums are the points in which the lever pivots and rotates. Loads are the points in which the person wishes to manipulate with the levers, and loads are described by their position, direction, and the magnitude in relation to the fulcrum. The effort has a direction, position, and magnitude in respect to a fulcrum as well. Levers are most commonly used in order to change the movement’s direction as well as to make a trade between the extent of effort and the amount of space in which force is applied.

What is lost in distance is gained in force with both levers and inclined planes. This is true with wheels and axles as well; the wheel’s movement is converted to more powerful, but shorter movements at the axle. Simply put, the wheel and axle is similar to a circular level. A lot of items use the wheel and axle such as steering wheels, wrenches, faucets, and screwdrivers. Pulleys may be used to change the applied force’s direction or as a way to provide a tradeoff in distance and force in addition to the change in direction. Pulleys are extremely flexible because ropes are used in transferring force instead of rigid objects such as rods or boards. Ropes are able to be maneuvered through almost any path. They can change direction quickly in three-dimensions and there are no consequences. Ropes can wrap around the shaft of a motor and would up or released while the motor turns. Screws are inclined planes wrapped around cylinders. As mentioned with inclined planes, linear forces in horizontal planes are converted to vertical lifting forces.

The phrase simple machines can be a little misleading as these small machines are anything but simple. By understanding how simple machines work, a person can combine simple machines and make more complex machines. The following links will direct you to lesson plans, classroom activities, webquests, science experiments, and educational websites to help your students develop the knowledge of understanding simple machines:

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