Simply Inclined
Learning Targets
Learning Target #1: I can define work.
Work is calculated by multiplying the amount of force applied by the distance. The force is measured in newtons. The distance is measured in meters. So, say you applied 9 newtons of force to an orange, and you moved it 2 meters. That means you did 18 newton-meters of work. Another word for newton-meter is joule.
After learning all of this, I now know that work is force multiplied by distance. It's not actually as complicated as it seems!
Learning Target #2: I can understand forces that affect work.
Energy is the ability to change matter. Kinetic energy is energy that is moving. It can be changed from kinetic energy to electrical energy, because energies can change forms, similar to states matter. When energy is stored, it is called potential energy, because it has the potential to become kinetic energy. Gravity is the pull that keeps things on the earth. The gravitational pull stays the same in each small area of space, so if you drop two objects from the same height, they will likely land at the same time. Friction affects work a lot. It slows objects down so they can't keep going forever. Things like wheels and energy help prevent friction. Things like ice and wood when you are wearing socks do not have much friction.
Learning Targets #3 and #4: I can define friction (and) I can describe how friction affects the amount of force needed to do work in different situations.
Friction is a force that acts between objects that are touching, or in contact. It causes objects to slow down or stop. It can also prevent things from moving. Friction slows you down, so you have to use more force to keep from staying still. That's why cars have such strong motors; there's a lot of friction between the tires and the road, and so the car needs to use more force to keep moving quickly. That's also why it isn't safe to drive when it's raining; the roads are slick, because there is not as much friction to stop the car from sliding everywhere.
Learning Targets #5 and #6: I can identify simple machines (and) I understand how simple machines change amount or direction of force.
Simple machines lower the amount of force needed to do a task, or change the direction of force. The different types of simple machines are inclined planes, wheels and axles, pulleys, levers, wedges, and screws. An example of an inclined plane is a ramp. These make it easy for people in wheelchairs to move around, instead of going up stairs. Wheels make it quicker and easier to go places. Axles connect two wheels together to make the wheels steady. Wheels and axles lower the amount of force. We can't move big things as easy without wheels and axles because there is a lot of surface area with lots of friction, and wheels do not have as much surface area and friction. Pulleys change the direction of the force; you are pulling down, so the object is going up. Levers need a fulcrum to work, but that's really all you need! Wedges are you to separate two things. An example is an ax; it's used to split a log or something else in half. A screw is like a spiral staircase, or a spiral ramp. The work about the same way as a ramp. Compound machines are made of at least two simple machines.
Forces
A force is a push or pull that can move an object. There are two different types of forces; balanced and unbalanced. Balanced forces have the same strengths but move in opposite directions. Unbalanced forces cause an object's motion to change.
Works Cited
"Simple Machines." TubeChop. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.
"All Work and No Play." Physics4Kids.com: Motion: Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015.
"Force & Motion." Study Island Lesson. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Mar. 2015.
Science. Orlando: Harcourt School, 2006. Print.