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The further away from the fulcrum you sit, the Point (known as the pivot point or fulcrum) Probably figured out that you need to sit further from the balance Helps you exert a bigger force when you turn it. LeversĪ lever is the simplest machine of all: it's just a long bar that Pulleys, ramps and wedges (which also count as one), and screws. There are five main types of simple machine: levers, wheels and axles (which count as one), You'll appreciate the advantage a hammer gives you. Try pushing in a nail with your finger and Pressure-and the nail easily enters the wood. The force you apply is exerted over a smaller area with much greater And because the head of the hammer is bigger than the head of the nail,
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When you pound a nail with a hammer, the handle increases the force youĪpply. Knife, the long handle and the sharpened blade magnify the force youĪpply with your hand-and the meat slices effortlessly. You can't cut meat with your hand alone, but if you push down on a Them, they increase its size and apply a greater force somewhere else. And even an egg whisk is a machine.Īll these machines have one thing in common: when you apply a force to When you hear the word "machine", you probably think of somethingĪnything that makes a force bigger. According to science, even thumbtacks are simple machines. When you push on the large, flattened head, the force you apply (to the large flattened end) is effectively magnified because it'sĬoncentrated into a much smaller area at the tiny pin head. Photo: Thumbtacks (sometimes called drawing pins) are a bit like nails with built-in hammers. Trains with their bare hands, but there's a limit to what even the most May have watched incredibly strong people on TV pulling trucks or People you're strong, what you really mean is that your body can apply a lot of force. To do anything at all-to lift a box, to push a car, to get out ofīed, to jump in the air, to brush your teeth-you need to use a pushing
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How many different machines you can spot at work inside the digger? Here are a few to start you off: the levers the driver pulls to make it do things, the wheels inside the tracks, the lever arm with the bucket on the end. Photo: This hydraulic digger uses a collection of simple machines (wheels, axles, and levers) to magnify the force its driver can exert. And although you might think there's a big differenceīetween a tiny little wrench and a huge great earthmover, exactly the But though the human body is the most amazing tool at your disposal, it often needs aĮxtensions of your body, making you feel stronger and helping you workįaster and more efficiently.
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