5 NPS/NAFL NORTH
Simple Machines
NPSNAFLNORTH|
KOCL|May2021
Contents
Simple Machines Page 3
Types of Machines Page 5
Inclined Plane Page 7
Screw Page 9
Wedge Page 10
Wheel and Axle Page 11
Pulley Page 13
Levers Page 14
Vocabulary Page 19
SIMPLE MACHINES
A force is an action that causes objects to move. It can stop a moving
object or change the direction of a moving object. A push or a pull is a
force. Whenever, force is applied, energy is used.
If you want to shift a
small object from one
place to another it is
possible, but if a large
object needs to be
moved it is difficult and
requires a lot of effort.
When is work said to be done?
Work is done only when an object moves on applying force. When you
run or walk you move, you do work. If you stand in the same place, you
do not do any work.
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We use machines to make our work easier. A device used to
make work easier is called a machine.
For example, a washing machine makes the task of washing
clothes easier.
A car makes the task of travelling to a faraway place easier.
Cycle Mixer
Tractor
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TTypes
YPES OFof
MMachis
ACHINES
Simple Machines:
A machine need not be something complex like a car or a washing
machine. Any tool that makes work easy is a machine.
A hammer makes
a task of fixing
nails easy. An axe
makes the work
of cutting wood
easy. A needle
makes the job of
stitching clothes
easy.
All these tools
are simple
machines.
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TYPES OF MACHINES
An inclined plane, wheel and axle, screw, wedge, lever
and pulley are six types of simple machines.
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INCLINED
InclinedPLANE
Plane
The effort required to push a heavy
rock over a gradual slope is lesser
than on a steep slope. A gradual
slope is used to make work easier.
A gradual sloping surface is called
an inclined plane.
It is easier to move an object over
an inclined plane. It is a simple
machine that requires no moving
parts because something or
someone else exerts a force on the
object being moved.
Since ancient times, inclined planes have been used to shift heavy objects to a
higher level. A ramp, a flight of stairs, slides, escalators and ladders are examples of
an inclined plane.
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INCLINED PLANE
A winding road on a hill or a mountain is a gradual slope. It is not a
steep slope. It is an inclined plane. The winding road, makes
travelling through mountains or hills easier.
A gradual sloping surface is called
an inclined plane.
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SCREW - AN INCLINED PLANE
Do you know that a screw is a type of an inclined plane?
A screw is a type of inclined plane wrapped around a rod.
It resembles a winding road. The grooves on a screw are
like the road on a hill.
The grooves gradually rise from one end to
the other. Every turn of a groove is a tiny
inclined plane. It helps to move the screw
through the wood with less effort. The
grooves also help in providing a better grip.
Groove
Inclined Hence, it is not easy to pull a screw out of a
plane
machine or a piece of wood.
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WEDGE
Wedge
A wedge is a triangular shaped tool which is an inclined
plane. It is one of the six simple machines. It can be
used to separate two objects or portions of an object,
lift an object, or hold an object in place. A wedge looks
like two inclined planes stuck together. The edge of a
wedge is often called the blade.
One difference between a wedge and an
inclined plane is that, while the inclined
plane stays still, a wedge moves to do its
work. To chop down a tree, someone must
swing the axe. To cut out a paper heart,
you need to move the scissor blades up
and down.
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Wheel
W and
HEEL AND Axle
AXLE
A wheel and an axle together form a single
machine. A piece of rod attached to the Wheel
centre of a wheel is called an axle.
The wheel and axle move together. One
moves the other. Without an axle, a wheel
cannot be used as a machine.
Wheels fixed to an axle move with
less effort. They are used to move heavy
Axle
objects and to set things in motion.
All vehicles move with the help of wheels and axles. Wheels and axles are part of a
fan, a mixer grinder, a washing machine and a steering wheel of a car or a bus.
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WHEEL AND AXLE
A screwdriver and the knob of a tap are examples of a wheel and an axle.
Most machines have a wheel and an axle as one of their parts.
Doorknob
Steering Wheel
Fishing Rod
Cycle
Spanner
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PPulley
ULLEY
A pulley is a grooved wheel with a rope
or cable around it. It can be movable or
fixed to a support. This simple machine
changes the direction of the force used.
The most common use of a pulley is to
fetch water from a well. The pot of
water is pulled upward by pulling the
rope downward.
Pulley
When more than one pulley is linked Crane
with the same cable around them,
they help in lifting or lowering loads
with very less effort.
A crane works on many pulleys and
can shift extremely heavy objects.
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LEVERS
Have you ever used a spoon to open
a lid of a container? Did you know,
you were using a spoon as a
machine called a lever?
Load
A lever is a bar that can be moved
about a fixed point called a fulcrum. It
is a simple machine because it helps in
Fulcrum performing a task easily.
Effort
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THREE TYPES OF LEVERS
The first-class lever, the second-class lever and the third-class lever.
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FIRST-CLASS LEVER
Force
Load
First-class lever
Fulcrum
First-class lever: In the first-class lever, the fulcrum is in the middle.
In this example, the spoon is the lever, and the fulcrum is the rim of the
tin. The load is the lid of the tin and effort is made at the other end of
the lever (spoon).
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SECOND-CLASS LEVER
Load
Second-class lever Force
Fulcrum
Second class lever: In the second-class lever, the load is in the middle.
An example of a second-class lever is a bottle opener. The load is the cap of
the bottle, the fulcrum is the end of the opener, and the effort is made at
the other end of the opener. When the handle is pulled upward, the cap is
pushed open. The nutcracker and wheelbarrow are also second-class levers.
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THIRD-CLASS LEVER
Third-class lever Load
Force
Third-class lever: The
third-class lever has the Fulcrum
effort in the centre. This
lever has a disadvantage
as the effort used to lift
the load is always greater
than the load. Examples
of a third-class lever are
tweezers and tongs.
In a pair of tongs, the load is the object to be picked up, the fulcrum
(support) is the part that joins the two arms, and the effort is made in
the middle. When we press the two arms together, they grip the object,
and we can lift it.
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Vocabulary
VOCABULARY
Simple machines What are they? Work they do Examples
Inclined Plane A flat slanting Moves things up Stairs, slide
surface or down
A stiff bar that Lifts or moves Shovel, nut-
Lever rests on a support load cracker, see-saw,
called a fulcrum tweezers
A grooved wheel Moves things Crane, curtain,
Pulley with a rope or up, down or flag post
cable around it across
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VOCABULARY
Simple machines What are they? Work they do Examples
Screw An inclined plane Holds things
together or lifts Screw , jackscrew
things
An object with at Cuts or spreads
Wedge least one open an object Knife, chisel, axe
slanting side apart
forming a sharp
edge
A wheel with a
rod (axle) fitted Lifts or moves Tap, steering
Wheel and axle through its centre, loads wheel
that move together
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