TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Claw
Students learn about gear ratios and power by operating toy mechanical cranes of differing gear ratios. They attempt to pick up objects with various masses to witness how much power must be applied to the system to oppose the force of...
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench Showcase: Physics, Mechanics
A collection of simulations representing concepts discussed in a mechanics unit of physics.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Machines and Tools, Part Ii
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...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Pyramid Building: How to Use a Wedge
Students learn how simple machines, including wedges, were used in building both ancient pyramids and present-day skyscrapers. In a hands-on activity, students test a variety of wedges on different materials (wax, soap, clay, foam)....
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Powerful Pulleys
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...
Other
D&t Online: Levers
This site illustrates different classes of levers that are used in simple machines.
Museum of Science
The Museum of Science: Gadget Anatomy
This site from The Museum of Science presents some compound machines and asks students to identify which simple machines they are composed of. Students provide their answer and receive immediate feedback.
Beacon Learning Center
Beacon Learning Center: How Can We Move Our Principal?
In this problem solving exercise, students must decide which simple machine would work best in different situations, in order to help the principal manoeuvre himself after he has hurt his leg and can't walk. The site has a good tutorial...
Other
Uss Constitution Museum: Constructing a Warship
USS Constitution was built as a fighting machine and utilized the six simple machines of science to accomplish the many tasks required of her. Young scholars will identify and manipulate these machines to create inventions that would...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: How a Faucet Works
Students learn about the underlying engineering principals in the inner workings of a simple household object - the faucet. Students use the basic concepts of simple machines, force and fluid flow to describe the path of water through a...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Let's Move It!
Students explore methods employing simple machines likely used in ancient pyramid building, as well as common modern-day material transportation. They learn about the wheel and axle as a means to transport materials from rock quarry to...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: Levers Weight Lifters
During this lesson, young scholars will have the opportunity to explore levers through hands-on experiences and by navigating the Internet. This lesson allows students to use their experiences to determine how levers and other simple...
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Plix: Simple Machines: Lever
[Free Registration/Login Required] Drag the labels to identify the different parts of the wheelbarrow as parts in a lever.
CK-12 Foundation
Ck 12: Plix: Simple Machines: Lever
[Free Registration/Login Required] Drag the labeled triangles to indicate where the fulcrum of this third-class lever is as well as the input and output forces.
Other
Rube Goldberg
Get a look into the life of the wacky machine inventor Rube Goldberg. Includes a terrific biography, a gallery of his cartoon inventions, and a link to The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest.
Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology
Iris: Earthquake Machine: Basic One Block & Simple Graph Animated
Animation of the single-block "Earthquake Machine" model shows how "Forces, Faults, and Friction" interact. [0:16]
SRI International
Performance Assessment Links in Science: Some of Its Parts
As they examine two variations of a can opener, students will discuss what the purpose is of each of its sub-parts, and which of the can openers is the better machine. They will also suggest improvements to the can opener. This is a...
Better Lesson
Better Lesson: Engineering Solutions
Anyone who has attempted one of those "claw machine" games at local restaurants or retailers knows how impossible it seems to win. This activity will get students using the engineering design process to develop a claw that will actually...
Shodor Education Foundation
Shodor Interactivate: Function Machine
Students investigate very simple functions by trying to guess the algebraic form from inputs and outputs.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Design and Build a Rube Goldberg
In this two-part activity, students design and build a Rube Goldberg machine. The open ended problem uses the engineering design process and can have a preset purpose, such as rolling a marble into a cup from a distance, or can be left...
Integrated Publishing
Integrated Publishing: The Wheel & Axle
A solid chapter explanation of the wheel & axle simple machine. Examples, the basic math, explanation of mechanical advantage, drawings, solved problem. Use the Next button. There are four pages in this chapter.
American Association of Physics Teachers
Com Padre Digital Library: Open Source Physics: Sliding Down an Incline Plane
Here is a simulation demonstrating an object placed on an inclined plane. The user will vary the slope of the plane to see the relationship the slope has on the gravity of the object and the static friction.
My Science Site
Finding Examples of Machines [Pdf]
Ready, set, go! Send your students racing to find examples of machines with this reproducible. A great way to enhance student learning on an unit on work and machines. This resource is in PDF form; requires Adobe Reader.
Other
D&t Online: Linkages
This site describes different types of linkages and how they are used in simple machines.
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