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Did you know that we use simple machines daily in order to make it easier to do work? Simple Machines are tools that we use to reduce the amount of force or effort we need to apply. Types of Simple Machines are pulley, lever, screw, wheel and axle, wedge, and inclined plane. Try the activities below to apply and learn about simple machines!

Inclined Plane Experiment

Materials:

  • Inclined plane- A stiff board or other flat long surface

  • A weight- or any other object to represent the object being pulled

  • plastic bag

  • long, thick rubberbands

  • pile of textbooks

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Directions:

  1. Tie a rubberband to each end of the plastic bag. Make sure the rubberband is strong enough to lift the object you chose.​

  2. Build the Inclined Plane

    1. Stack the pile of textbooks.​

    2. Take the board and place one end on the pile of textbooks with the other end resting on the ground.

  3. Place object in bag.

  4. Testing:

    1. With Inclined Plane- Have one person slowly drag the bag up the Inclined Plane​, while the other person records the length of the rubberbands' displacement.

    2. Without inclined plane- Lift the plastic bag up from the the ground and stop when you reach the top of the pile of textbooks. Again have one person record the length of the rubberband displacement.

  5. Make Observations:

    1. Did it take more or less force to move the object with the inclined plane?(Hint: Smaller rubberband displacement = less force)

    2. Did you travel a greater/less distance by moving the object up the inclined plane?

    3. Did you do more/less/equal work by using the inclined plane?

Internet Scavenger Hunt- See if you can solve the clues below!

Clue 1: A ____________________ is  an example of a pulley.

1.pen

2. stapler

3. flagpole

4. ramp

 

Clue 2:

Write an example of two of the following (cannot be from the packet)

Pulley:

Screw:

Inclined plane:

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Clue 3: Which is not an example of a lever?

  1. Stapler

  2. Hammer

  3. Seesaw

  4. Slide

  5. ​

Clue 4: True or False?

Inclined planes decrease the distance but increase the force

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Clue 5: List three examples of simple machines found in this room

A.

B.

C.

Clue 6: Unscramble! psmlei cmnehais

 

Clue 7:True/False

Simple machines decrease the amount of work done.

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Clue 8:  Give an example of a situation where work is being done___________________________________________________________________

Clue 9: unscramble! lyupel

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Clue 10: What simple machine is the catapult?

____________________

 

 

Clue 11: True or False?

For work to take place, the motion of the object doesn’t have to be in the same direction as the force applied.

PomPom Catapult

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Materials:

  • 7 popsicle sticks

  • 4 rubberbands

  • plastic cap

  • pom-pom ball

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Directions:

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  1. Make a stack of five popsicle sticks and rubberband each end.

  2. Take the two remaining sticks and place them in a 'v' shape. Take the stack of five popsicle sticks and place in between.

  3. Rubbeband where the two popsicle stciks touch.

  4. Rubberband the center where all sticks meet.

  5. Hotglue the plastic cap to the end of the top stick.

  6. PLace a pom-pom ball in the cap.

  7. Hold down on the end and let go! 

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Answers to Inclined Plane Activity:

1.less force

2. greater distance

3.equal work (Even though you reduce the force, you increase the distance, thus making the work equal in both cases)

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