Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: First Class Levers
Through observation and inquiry, learners are given various objects to investigate how levers work and why they might be useful.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Levers:relationship of Force of Effort & Resistance Fulcrum Placement
Students investigate the relationship between the two forces and the location of the fulcrum in a first class lever. Students work in cooperative groups of approximately three to make observations that they can then generate a formula...
Science Struck
Science Struck: Examples of Pulleys in Daily Life
Learn how pulleys work and their many uses in everyday life, industry, recreation, and other activities. Includes many pictures of pulleys and pulley systems.
Maryland Science Center
Maryland Science Center: March Madness Finger Basketball [Pdf]
Build a miniature basketball court, and use a spoon lever to shoot balls into the basket. Experiment with different materials to see which one works the best.
Curated OER
Integrated Publishing/block & Tackle (Or Pulley)
Very substantial four-page article on how the block & tackle works. (It's a simple machine -- a pulley.) Lots of illustration. Mechanical advantage, formulae, solved problems, all here. Good source for info.
Curated OER
Integrated Publishing/block & Tackle (Or Pulley)
Very substantial four-page article on how the block & tackle works. (It's a simple machine -- a pulley.) Lots of illustration. Mechanical advantage, formulae, solved problems, all here. Good source for info.
Curated OER
Integrated Publishing/block & Tackle (Or Pulley)
Very substantial four-page article on how the block & tackle works. (It's a simple machine -- a pulley.) Lots of illustration. Mechanical advantage, formulae, solved problems, all here. Good source for info.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: The Physics and Engineering of a Trebuchet
In this simple machines lab students investigate how the trebuchet works using their prior knowledge of simple machines. Students then build a trebuchet and analyze the physics and engineering that goes into building and launching it.
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Here Comes the Sun
Students work in teams to learn about solar panel design, simple circuits, and how solar energy is used to provide power to simple machines such as calculators.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Secrets of Lost Empires Ii: Lever an Obelisk
Utilize an understanding of how a lever works to lift an obelisk, using as few of the weights and support stones as possible in this online interactive activity.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Secrets of Lost Empires Ii: Lever Lift
Examine the classes of levers and discover how levers work by raising a brick with shish kebab skewers.
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Practice W/ Levers
This lesson provides the learner with examples on determining the work done to or by a lever.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Investigating the Inclined Plane Through Inquiry
In this activity, students will use different materials to find the most effective way to use an inclined plane (in other words, moving an object with as little force as possible). This is a guided inquiry. Although the students will be...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Heave Ho!
Students will discover the scientific basis for the use of inclined planes. They will explore, using a spring scale, a bag of rocks and an inclined plane, how dragging objects up a slope is easier than lifting them straight up into the...
University of Colorado
University of Colorado: Physics 2000: X Rays
Here's a really simple demonstration of a fluoroscope. There are links to more information about the uses of X-rays as well.
Museum of Science
Science Learning Network: Inventor's Workshop
A short piece on Leonardo da Vinci from the Science Learning Network. Placed here because a) there's a decent drawing of an Archimedes' screw, and b) there's a link to an adequate definition thereof.
Curated OER
Science Kids: Science Images: Gears
This image shows a large gear and a small gear from two different angles. Understanding how gears work is important when learning about mechanical advantage and simple machines.
The Franklin Institute
[Archived Content] the Franklin Institute: The Screw Demonstration
This is an activity demonstrating that the screw is an inlined plane.
Other
Utah Online Services: Rss Workshop
A well-regarded introduction to publishing RSS feeds, from the state of Utah Online Services division. In this workshop, you'll learn how to create, validate, parse, publish, and syndicate your own RSS news channel. The emphasis is on...