Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The Power of Mechanical Advantage

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students learn about the mechanical advantage offered by pulleys in an interactive and game-like manner. By virtue of the activity's mechatronic presentation, they learn to study a mechanical system not as a static image, but rather as a...
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Mechanical Advantage

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] Actual and ideal mechanical advantage, how to calculate them and the mechanical advantage of different types of machines.
Handout
Ohio State University

Ohio State Univ.: Simple Machines & Mechanical Advantage [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
This site details how simple machines create a mechanical advantage for humans. Levers, theoretical mechanical advantage, actual mechanical advantage, and pulley systems are discussed.
Handout
Integrated Publishing

Integrated Publishing: How Mechanical Advantage Is Used

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes how pulley systems are used in the real world, including the role of the mechanical advantage in selecting the proper pulley system.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Pulley'ing Your Own Weight

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Using common materials (spools, string, soap), students learn how a pulley can be used to easily change the direction of a force, making the moving of large objects easier. They see the difference between fixed and movable pulleys, and...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Powerful Pulleys

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students continue to explore the story of building a pyramid, learning about the simple machine called a pulley. They learn how a pulley can be used to change the direction of applied forces and move/lift extremely heavy objects, and the...
Lesson Plan
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College

Serc: Comparing Mechanical Advantage and Efficiency of Pulleys

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Young scholars determine the mechanical advantage of three pulley set-ups. Then they measure the work input and output to calculate the efficiency. Finally, students determine the relationship between the mechanical advantage and the...
Handout
Integrated Publishing

Integrated Publishing: Pulley Mechanical Advantage

For Students 9th - 10th
Good illustrations and explanations for finding the mechanical advantage of pulley systems.
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Machines and Tools, Part Ii

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In this activity, students gain first-hand experience with the mechanical advantage of pulleys. Students are given the challenge of helping save a whale by moving it from an aquarium back to its natural habitat into the ocean. They set...
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Simple Machines: Pulley Systems

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes some history of the pulley, how it works, the formula for calculating its mechanical advantage, types of pulley systems, and some applications of pulleys.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Simple Machines

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Through a five-lesson series with five hands-on activities, students are introduced to six simple machines - inclined plane, wedge, screw, lever, pulley, wheel-and-axle - as well as compound machines, which are combinations of two or...
Interactive
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12 Exploration Series: Simulations: Physics: Block and Tackle

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] A video module where students learn about the relationship between force, work, energy, and mechanical advantage using a simple machine.
Interactive
Other

New Path Learning: Virtual Lab: Exploring Pulleys

For Students 9th - 10th
Investigate how changing the load, number of pulleys, and the size of the person affect the function of a pulley system. Students can record their observations on a data table.
Unit Plan
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Simple Machines: Pulley: Lesson 2

For Students 9th - 10th
This lesson will explain how to calculate the mechanical advantage of a pulley system. It is 2 of 3 in the series titled "Simple Machines: Pulley."
Unit Plan
Sophia Learning

Sophia: Simple Machines: Pulley: Lesson 3

For Students 9th - 10th
This lesson will explain how to calculate the mechanical advantage of a pulley system. It is 3 of 3 in the series titled "Simple Machines: Pulley."
Unit Plan
CK-12 Foundation

Ck 12: Physical Science: Pulley

For Students 7th - 9th
[Free Registration/Login may be required to access all resource tools.] What a pulley is and the three basic types, and the mechanical advantage of a pulley.
Unit Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Simple Machines From Pyramids to Skyscrapers

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Simple machines are devices with few or no moving parts that make work easier, and which people have used to provide mechanical advantage for thousands of years. Students learn about the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane,...
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Levers That Lift

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This lesson introduces students to three of the six simple machines used by many engineers: the lever, the pulley, and the wheel-and-axle. In general, engineers use the lever to magnify the force applied to an object, the pulley to lift...
Handout
Other

University of Arkansas: Simple Machines

For Students 9th - 10th
A thorough discussion of all the simple machines, beginning with some thoughts on mechanical advantage and conservation of energy. Very complete. Move down to the section that interests you.
Lesson Plan
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: Engineering: Simple Machines

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Simple machines are devices with few or no moving parts that make work easier. 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...
Graphic
Curated OER

Integrated Publishing: Pulley Mechanical Advantage

For Students 9th - 10th
Good illustrations and explanations for finding the mechanical advantage of pulley systems.
Graphic
Curated OER

Integrated Publishing: Pulley Mechanical Advantage

For Students 9th - 10th
Good illustrations and explanations for finding the mechanical advantage of pulley systems.
Graphic
Curated OER

Integrated Publishing: How Mechanical Advantage Is Used

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes how pulley systems are used in the real world, including the role of the mechanical advantage in selecting the proper pulley system.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Simple Machines and How to Use This Tutorial

For Students 6th - 8th
There are six simple machines. They are as follows: lever, wheel, pulley, incline plane, wedge, and screw. This tutorial will cover the first three.