What are Simple Machines?

Science report

Today’s topic would be from a new category: Technology

So today’s topic is: Simple machines

Introduction

So if you know what simple machines are then you are ok. But if you don’t then don’t misunderstand it for everyday, household things like phones or gas stove.

Simple machines

A simple machine is a mechanical device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force. In general, they can be defined as the simplest mechanisms that use mechanical advantage (also called leverage) to multiply force.

They are: 

Pulley

Lever

Wheel and axle

Inclined plane

Wedge

Screw

Pulley

Pulley

A pulley is a wheel on an axle or a shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable or belt or transfer of power between the shaft and cable or belt. In the case of a pulley supported by a frame or shell that does not transfer power to a shaft, but is used to guide the cable or exert a force, the supporting shell is called a block, and the pulley may be called a sheave.

It is difficult to weigh heavyweights without a pulley. When a pulley comes into action it seems easy to lift even if you can’t lift with bare hands.

Lever

You have certainly played see-saw with your friend and it seemed easy to lift your heavy friend. Then my friend meet lever(not Johnny lever)

A lever is a simple machine consisting of a rigid rod pivoted at a fixed fulcrum. A lever is a rigid body capable of rotating on a point on itself. Based on the locations of fulcrum, load and effort, the lever is divided into three types. Also, leverage is the mechanical advantage gained in a system. A lever amplifies an input force to provide a greater output force, which is said to provide leverage.

Wheel and axle

The wheel and axle is a machine consisting of a wheel attached to a smaller axle so that these two parts rotate together in which a force is transferred from one to the other. The wheel and axle can be viewed as a version of the lever, with a driving force applied tangentially to the perimeter of the wheel and a load force applied to the axle, respectively, that are balanced around the hinge which is the fulcrum.

You can see the wheel and axle under your car. Where the two wheels are connected with an axle(iron rod)

Inclined plane

This is a very common thing. You go quite fast when going downhill and you need not apply the accelerator to go ahead. Inclined planes are widely used to move heavy loads over vertical obstacles; examples vary from a ramp used to load goods into a truck, to a person walking up a pedestrian ramp, etc.

Wedge

A wedge is a triangular-shaped tool and is a portable inclined plane. It can be used to separate two objects or portions of an object, lift an object, or hold an object in place. It functions by converting a force applied to its blunt end into forces perpendicular (normal) to its inclined surfaces. Although a short wedge with a wide-angle may do a job faster, it requires more force than a long wedge with a narrow-angle.

Screw

This is also a common thing. You might have seen screws but put things together. A screw is a mechanism that converts rotational motion to linear motion, and torque to a linear force(blah blah blah). The most common form consists of a cylindrical shaft with helical grooves or ridges called threads around the outside. The screw passes through a hole in another object or medium, with threads on the inside of the hole that mesh with the screw’s threads. When the shaft of the screw is rotated relative to the stationary threads, the screw moves along its axis relative to the medium surrounding it; for example, rotating a wood screw forces it into the wood. In screw mechanisms, the screw shaft can rotate through a threaded hole in a stationary object. Geometrically, a screw can be viewed as a narrow inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder.

Source: Wikipedia

Bye! Have a great time.