Step 10 of 18 · Forces · SC4-FOR-01
Simple machines
Less force, more distance. Machines trade one for the other.
Learn it
Describe how levers, pulleys, ramps and other simple machines change forces, and calculate mechanical advantage
Idea 1 of 4
Six simple machines
Lever, pulley, inclined plane (ramp), wedge, screw, and wheel and axle. Every complicated machine — a bike, a crane, a pair of scissors — is built from these.
Know it by heart
Say each one in your head, then tap to check.
Try it
Play — nothing here is marked
Grab the blue handle and push down. (You can push up to 300 N.)
A full-marks answer
A builder uses a lever to lift a 900 N rock with an effort of 150 N. Calculate the mechanical advantage.
2 marksBuilt one line at a time — say the next line before you reveal it
- MA = load ÷ effort(formula first)
Words to know
Tap a card to flip it
Step 10 · last bit
Ready? Prove it.
A round of ten. Score 8 or more and this step is done — then on to cells and organelles.