Throughout the history of the world, mankind has continually searched for ways to make their lives and work easier. First the caveman was able to fashion stones and bone into primitive tools. With these wonderful tools the average caveman could easily bonk on other stones, thump on surrounding trees, smash things (like their fingers) and bang on each other! It wasn’t until great thinkers sat down one day and determined that tools were more than just for bonking and thumping! These great thinkers stated that there was actually logic behind these tools.
Now, simple machines are simple tools used to make work easier. Compound machines have two or more simple machines working together to make work easier.
In science, work is defined as a force acting on an object to move it across a distance. Pushing, pulling, and lifting are common forms of work. Furniture movers do work when they move boxes. Gardeners do work when they pull weeds. Children do work when they go up and down on a see-saw. Machines make their work easier. The furniture movers use a ramp to slide boxes into a truck. The gardeners use a hand shovel to help break through the weeds. The children use a see-saw to go up and down. The ramp, the shovel, and the see-saw are simple machines.
Simple machines! They are the basis for everything mechanical. There are six types of simple machines: the lever, the pulley, the inclined plane, the screw, the wedge and the wheel and axle. Each one has its own characteristics and each one helps mankind make his work easier. Your challenge this week is to pick one of the simple machines, recreate it with path tools and show us how this simple machine can make our lives easier!
 |
 |
|
| Sukarae |
Sylvia |
|
