What are simple machines?
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Answer:
Simple Machines are devices that just need a single force to do work. They are used to make
work easier, because they can reduce the amount of force needed to do the work, such as
move an object. There are six simple machines:
Lever: a bar that rests on a turning
point that can be used to decrease
the amount of force needed to move
a load.
Experiment 1.
Examples: seesaw, crowbar, door-
knob
Inclined Plane: a surface set at an
angle that can be used to decrease
the force it takes to move a load by
increasing the distance that load
must travel.
Examples: ramp, knife blade, pro-
peller
Pulley: a wheel with a groove in it
that holds a cable. It can reverse the
direction of a force, and when used
in combination with other pulleys,
can decrease the amount of force
needed to move a load.
Experiments 3 and 4.
Examples: clothesline, block and
tackle, hoist
Wedge: two inclined planes put back
to back that can be used to split
objects.
Examples: axes, wedges, nails
Wheel and Axle: a lever that turns in
circles around a point, which can de-
crease the amount of force needed
to move a load.
Experiments 5 and 7.
Examples: wheels on a car, gears
on a bike
Screw: an inclined plane wrapped
around a cylinder. It can convert a
force going in a circle into a force
going in a straight line.
Examples: wood screws, worm
gears
Máquinas simples:
1. Palanca 2. Polea 3. Rueda y Eje 4. Plano inclinado 5. Cuña 6. Tornillo
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