Simple machines are tools with few or no moving parts that change
the direction or magnitude of a force to make work easier, providing
mechanical advantage.
INCLINED PLANE consists of a sloping surface; it is used for raising heavy bodies. The plane
offers a mechanical advantage in that the force required to move an object up the incline is less
than the weight being raised (discounting friction). The steeper the slope, or incline, the more
nearly the required force approaches the actual weight. Expressed mathematically, the
force F required to move a block D up an inclined plane without friction is equal to its
weight W times the sine of the angle the inclined plane makes with the horizontal (θ). The
equation is F = W sin θ.
The principle of the inclined plane is used widely—for example, in ramps and switchback roads,
where a small force acting for a distance along a slope can do a large amount of work.
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. This device is said to have been used in Egypt and India for
raising water and lifting soldiers over battlements as early as 1500 bce.
Shadoof
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 hammer head 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.
A WHEEL AND AXLE is made up of a circular frame (the wheel) that revolves on a shaft or
rod (the axle). In its earliest form it was probably used for raising weights or water buckets from
wells.
Its principle of operation is best explained by way of a device with a large gear and a small gear
attached to the same shaft. The tendency of a force, F, applied at the radius R on the large gear
to turn the shaft is sufficient to overcome the larger force W at the radius r on the small gear.
The force amplification, or mechanical advantage, is equal to the ratio of the two forces (W:F)
and also equal to the ratio of the radii of the two gears (R:r).
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.
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.
Definitions of the six types of simple machines:
1. Lever: A stiff bar or rod that pivots on a fixed support called a fulcrum. Levers can be
used to lift heavy objects or pry things apart, such as using a crowbar to move a rock.
2. Wheel and axle: A wheel attached to a smaller rod (the axle), used to make it easier to
move things. Examples include doorknobs, steering wheels, and the wheels on a car.
3. Pulley: A wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change
the direction of a taut cable or belt, or to transmit power between the shaft and cable or
belt. Pulleys are used to lift objects, such as in wells or cranes.
4. Inclined plane: A flat, sloping surface used to move heavy objects into place with less
effort. A ramp is a common example of an inclined plane.
5. Wedge: A triangular-shaped tool, essentially a double inclined plane, used to cut, split,
or pry objects apart. Examples include axes, knives, and chisels.
6. Screw: An inclined plane wrapped around a cylindrical shape, often used as a fastener or
to hold things together. Screws can also be used to move things up or down, like in a
screw jack.
