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Examples Of Simple Machines Used

In Everyday Life
by Jignesh Sabhadiya

A simple machine is a basic mechanical device that helps you perform work.
All six types of simple machines can most likely be found around your house.
Explore simple machine examples to see which types of machines you use
every day.

What Is A Simple Machine?

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.

A simple machine is a device used for performing work by applying force

(effort) at a convenient point in a convenient direction to overcome the friction
(load) at some other point. Simple machines help to reduce human effort.

Usually, the term refers to the six classical examples of simple machines that
were defined by Renaissance scientists:

Lever
Wheel and axle
Pulley
Inclined plane
Wedge
Screw
A simple machine uses a single applied force to do work against a single load
force. Ignoring friction losses, the work done on the load is equal to the work
done by the applied force.

The machine can increase the amount of the output force, at the cost of a
proportional decrease in the distance moved by the load. The ratio of the
output to the applied force is called the mechanical advantage.

The simple machines and their examples are as follows:

The lever: Examples are a crowbar, claw hammer, a pair of pliers, etc…
The inclined plane: Examples are ramps, staircases, hilly roads, etc.
The wedge: Examples are knife, axe, plough, knife, etc
Screw: Examples are A screw bolt
The wheel and axle: Examples are the steering wheel of a car, bicycle
pedal, etc.
The pulley: Examples are a pulley used in raising a load.

Types Of Simple Machines

Many, many objects from everyday life, which we use to travel, to play or in the
world of work, are based on one or more of these six well-known machines.
1. Inclined Plane Simple Machine Examples
An inclined plane is a simple machine that is used to raise heavy bodies using a
sloping plane; it lifts the objects in two different ways. One is lifting in a straight
direction, and the other is bringing the object to the top by moving it
diagonally.

Examples of Inclined Plane:

 Ramp
Slides
Road Slopes
Driveway
Staircase
Loading Ramps
Ski Slopes
Water Slides
Conveyor Belts
Handicap Accessibility Ramps

2. Pulley Simple Machine Examples

A pulley is a wheel that carries a flexible rope, cord, cable, chain, or belt on its
rim. Pulleys are used singly or in combination to transmit energy and motion.
Pulleys with grooved rims are called sheaves. In belt drive, pulleys are affixed
to shafts at their axes, and power is transmitted between the shafts by means
of endless belts running over the pulleys.

One or more independently rotating pulleys can be used to gain a mechanical

advantage, especially for lifting weights. The shafts about which the pulleys
turn may affix them to frames or blocks, and a combination of pulleys, blocks,
and rope or other flexible material is referred to as a block and tackle.

Examples of Pulley:

Window blinds
Flagpoles
Elevators
Clotheslines
Garage door openers
Block and tackle
Sailboat rigging
Gym equipment
Construction cranes
 Zip lines
Stage rigging
Ski lifts
Well systems.
Venetian blinds
Conveyor belts
Window washing systems.
Amusement Park rides
Theatrical flying systems
Garage storage systems
Cable cars

3. Screw Simple Machine Examples

A screw is a usually circular cylindrical member with a continuous helical rib,
used either as a fastener or as a force and motion modifier. It helps to hold
things together and to lift things.

Examples of Screw:

Screw,
Bolt,
Clamp,
Spinning Stool,
Spiral Staircase
Car Jack
Drill
End Of A Hose
End Of A Light Bulb
Faucet
Gas Tank Cap
Jar Lid
Wine Corkscrew
4. Wheel And Axle Simple Machine Examples
The wheel and axle are another type of simple machine that brought a drastic
change in the world of physics. It has two parts, one is real, and the other one
is the axle. It moves in a circular or cylindrical shape.

If the wheel rotates, then according to the speed and the direction of the
wheel, the axle also moves. This principle is used to move the objects or to lift
the objects from one place to another. The size of the object can be defined as
the small gear and large gear. Bringing out a bucket from the well is a well-
known wheel and axle example.

Examples of Wheel and Axle:

Car wheels
Bicycle wheels
Ferris wheel
Windmill
Waterwheel
Steering wheel
Screwdriver
Hand-cranked eggbeater
Doorknob
Gear mechanism
Rotating sprinkler
Fishing reel
Rolling pin
Potter’s wheel
Manual winch
Mechanical clock
Roller skates
Wind-up toy
Revolving door colliding.
Wind vane
5. Wedge Simple Machine Examples
A wedge is an object that tapers to a thin edge. Pushing the wedge in one
direction creates a force in a sideways direction. It is usually made of metal or
wood and is used for splitting, lifting, or tightening, as in securing a
hammerhead onto its handle.

The wedge was used in prehistoric times to split logs and rocks; an ax is also a
wedge, as are the teeth on a saw. In terms of its mechanical function, the
screw may be thought of as a wedge wrapped around a cylinder.

Examples of Wedges:

Knife blade
Axe head
Chisel
Nail
Saw teeth.
Zipper
Scissors
Fork tines
Ice pick
Screw
Hatchet
Feathered arrowhead
Doorstop
Key
Plow
Trowel
Teeth of a comb
Needle
Splitting Maul

6. Lever Simple Machine Examples

A lever is a bar or board that rests on a support called a fulcrum. A downward
force exerted on one end of the lever can be transferred and increased in an
upward direction at the other end, allowing a small force to lift a heavy weight.

All early people used the lever in some form, for example, for moving heavy
stones or as digging sticks for land cultivation.

The principle of the lever was used in the swape, or shadoof, a long lever
pivoted near one end with a platform or water container hanging from the
short arm and counterweights attached to the long arm. A man could lift
several times his own weight by pulling down on the long arm.

Examples Of Levers in Everyday Life:

Car Jack
Crowbar
Gardening Shears
Light Switch
Pliers
Scissors
Seesaw
Baseball Bat
 Broom
Chopsticks
Golf Club
Hammer End of A Hammer
Rake
Tennis Racket
Your Arm
Bicycle hand brake
Bottle opener
Car door handle
Crash bar
Door
Nail clippers
Stapler
Wheelbarrow

Did you know there were so many simple machines making your life

FAQs
What Are The 10 Simple Machines?
There are six simple machines: screw, inclined plane, wedge, lever, wheel and
axle, and pulley. A compound machine is a machine consisting of two or more
simple machines. Some examples of compound machines are clippers, a
manual pencil sharpener, a crane, and a bulldozer.

What Are The 10 Machines Used In Home?

10 Simple Machines which we use in everyday life are- nut cracker, sea- saw,
scissors, plier, stapler, wheel barrow, human body, broom , hammer and
balance scale.

What Are 6 Simple Machines Examples?

The six most common simple machines – inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever,
pulley and wheel-and-axle – are designed to change the magnitude/direction
of the force (remember, work = force x distance), ultimately making the task
easier to perform.
What Are The 7 Simple Machines?
Simple machines that are widely used include the wheel and axle, pulley,
inclined plane, screw, wedge and lever. While simple machines may magnify
or reduce the forces that can be applied to them, they do not change the total
amount of work needed to perform the overall task.

Is A Knife A Simple Machine?

A wedge is a simple machine used to separate or cut an object, lift up an object
or keep an object in place. Axe, knife, nail, and needle are examples of a
wedge.

Are There 8 Simple Machines?

Students are introduced to the six types of simple machines — the wedge,
wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and pulley — in the context of the
construction of a pyramid, gaining high-level insights into tools that have been
used since ancient times and are still in use today.

What is Belt Drive?- Types and Materials of Belt

18 Wedge Simple Machines Examples in Everyday Life

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