Overview

Introduction in Simple Machines

What are Simple Machines?

Simple machines are devices which alter the direction or force of a certain object, making it easier to move. A simple machine makes it easier and reduces the time it takes to complete a job.

Simple machines can help build skyscrapers or make it easy to chop vegetables – there’s no end to the number of uses for them. They’ve made life easier for humans in loads of different ways, and it’s hard to imagine we’d have developed this far without them.

Many of the complex designs and tools we use today stemmed from simple machines of the past – they’re a key stepping stone towards complex machinery.

Simple machines can work in a variety of ways. They can transfer a force from one place to another, change the direction of a force, increase a force’s magnitude, or increase the distance or speed of a force.

Pulley
A pulley is a simple machine which features a grooved wheel and rope to raise, lower or move a load.

Lever
A lever is a hard bar that rests on support to help lift or move heavy loads.

Wedge
A wedge is an object that features at least one sloping side with a hard edge to cut apart materials.

Wheel and Axel
A wheel with a rod through the centre and helps to lift or move loads.

Inclined Plane
An inclined plane features a slanted surface that connects a higher level to a lower level.

Screw
A screw is an inclined plane which is wrapped around a pole. It holds things together and can lift materials.

We use simple machines every day—when we open a door, turn on a faucet, open a tin can, or ride a bike. Simple machines make it easy for us to do work.

A force (a push or a pull effort) makes something (a mass or load) move a distance. Simple machines have only one part to do the work and they have very few or even no moving parts.

A lever is an example of such a simple machine. You can use a lever, for example a crowbar, to move a large load with a smaller effort than you would need if you did not have a machine to help you. The force applied to the lever makes the load move, but the effort needed is less than if the force was applied directly to the load. The work is thus easier to do.

The terms load and effort are used in describing how simple machines work. The load is the object that is moved, e.g., a box. The effort is the force used to do the work. In the situation illustrated, the effort is the force that someone will apply to the moving dolly to move (or lift) the load (the box).

Simple machines have very few parts; compound machines are made up of two or more simple machines. A moving dolly is one example of a compound machine. It has combined two simple machines. The handles are levers that help lift the load, and the wheel and axle help move the load forward easily. The same principle applies to a wheelbarrow.

Machines help us do many things: they help us lift, pull, split, fasten, cut, carry, mix, etc. All machines are made up of simple machines. More complicated machines (compound machines) are made up of a number of simple machines that function together to help do the work. Gears are sometimes categorized as compound machines, but in this material we have regarded them as simple machines.

Problem-based learning is a constructionist method which allows students to learn about a subject by exposing them to multiple problems and asking them to construct their understanding of the subject through these problems. This kind of learning can be very effective in mathematics classes because students try to solve the problems in many different ways, stimulating their minds.

The following five strategies make problem-based learning more effective:

  1. The learning activities should be related to a larger task. The larger task is important because it allows students to see that the activities can be applied to many aspects of life and, as a result, students are more likely to find the activities they are doing useful.
  2. The learner needs to be supported to feel that they are beginning to have ownership of the overall problem.
  3. An authentic task should be designed for the learner. This means that the task and the learner’s cognitive ability have to match the problems to make learning valuable.
  4. Reflection on the content being learned should occur so that learners can think through the process of what they have learned.
  5. Allow and encourage the learners to test ideas against different views in different contexts.

Seymour Aubrey Papert 29 February 1928 – 31 July 2016) was a South African-born American mathematician, computer scientist, and educator, who spent most of his career teaching and researching at MIT. He was one of the pioneers of artificial intelligence, and of the constructionist movement in education.

Constructionist learning is the creation by learners of mental models to understand the world around them. Constructionism advocates student-centered, discovery learning where students use what they already know to acquire more knowledge. Students learn through participation in project-based learning where they make connections between different ideas and areas of knowledge facilitated by the teacher through coaching rather than using lectures or step-by-step guidance. Further, constructionism holds that learning can happen most effectively when people are active in making tangible objects in the real world. In this sense, constructionism is connected with experiential learning and builds on Jean Piaget’s epistemological theory of constructivism.