LAB #8 – Simple Machines Help Us

LAB #8 – Simple Machines Help Us

A simple machine is a machine with few or no moving parts. Simple machines make work easier.  They can change the magnitude of force, the direction of the force, or the distance that the force travels.  Some examples of simple machines are: Screw, Wheel and Axle, Wedge, Pulley, Inclined Plane, and Lever. 

Problem      

 How do simple machines help us?

Hypothesis

Materials

 Various simple and compound machines

Procedure

You will be making observations on various objects that your teacher passes out and on objects located in the classroom.  You must fill out the Results section with information about the objects.  If they are simple machines, then you are to infer what kind of simple machines they are; if they are compound machines, then you are to infer what kind of simple machines they are made out of.

Results:

Name of the object	Purpose of the object	What kind of simple machine is it?	Draw a picture of the object
1. Plastic drink top
2. chemistry tongs
3. cooking thermometer
4. scissors
5. light bulb and clamp
6. plastic car
7. spray bottle
8. staples
9. clip on clipboard
10. plastic spoon
11. plastic fork
12. plastic knife
13. nails (on wall)
14. screw (in wall)
15. ramp
16. stapler
17. triple beam balance
18. crazy coaster track
19. blinds
20. wheel on push cart
21. file cabinet drawer
22.
23.
24.
25.

Analysis:

1.       How do simple machines make our lives easier?

               

2.       Pick five objects from the lab and explain how it would be like without them.  How would you accomplish the tasks they help us with without them?

                

3.       Find five simple machines at home and add them to your Results.

Conclusion:

(Write a summary of your experiment.  Was your hypothesis right?  What did you learn?  What could you do next time?  Was it fun?  How is this related to what we are learning in class?)