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 up different pulley systems, compare the theoretical and actual mechanical advantage of each and discuss their recommendations as a class.

Concepts

engineering, mechanical advantage, stem, pulleys

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Additional Tags

pulley system, integrated teaching and learning program and laboratory, teachengineering, pulley, simple machine, mechanical advantage of machines

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Classroom Considerations

• Knovation Readability Score: 3 (1 low difficulty, 5 high difficulty)