Six Simple Machines!
By Zayna Siddiqui
#1: Lever
A lever is a machine, that has a bar and a fulcrum (aka pivot.) Putting a force to one side of the rigid object (often a bar) causes it to fulcrum, making a magnification of the force at another side along the bar. There are three classes of levers; depending on where the input force, and the output force are, the fulcrums are in relation to each other. Baseball bats, seesaws, wheelbarrows, are types of levers, because if one side has pressure, the other side goes up!
#2: Pulley
A pulley is a wheel with a groove along its edge! A rope can be placed at the edge. It applies force over a longer distance, and also the force in the rope, to decrease the magnitude of the force. Systems of pulleys can be used to greatly decrease the force that must be applied initially to move an object.
#3: Wheel and Axle
#4: Screw
A screw is a machine that rotates to tighten something. It uses a torque aka, rotational force to a linear force.The most used type has a cylindrical shaft with grooves or ridges called threads around the outside.The screw goes through a hole in to an object. The screw goes along the relative to the medium surrounding.
#5: Wedge
A wedge is a triangular shaped machine. It can be used to divide two objects, lift up an object, or hold an object in place.
#6: Inclined plane
An inclined plane is a flat supporting surface that is tilted at an angle, with one end higher than the other. It is used as an aid for lifting or lowering a load. Inclined planes are widely used to move heavy loads over vertical obstacles.