Simple Machines
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Created by:
mr_Goodwin on April 10, 2011
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Words associated with simple machines.
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21 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 lever | a type of simple machine; consists of a rigid bar that pivots about a fulcrum, used to transmit and enhance power or motion |
| inclined plane | simple machine that consists of a sloping surface, such as a ramp, that reduces the amount of force needed to lift something by increasing the distance over which the force is applied |
| wedge | a simple machine that is made up of two inclined planes and that moves; often used for cutting |
| wheel & axle | a type of simple machine that consists of a rod driven through the center of a cylinder that is allowed to rotate freely, yielding a mechanical advantage equal to the cylinder's diameter |
| pulley | a wheel with a rope that lets you change the direction in which you move an object |
| screw | an inclined plane wrapped around a cylinder |
| mechanical advantage | the ratio of output force to input force for a machine |
| simple machine | A device that reduces the amount of force needed to perform a task or changes the direction of a force. |
| force | a push or pull that causes an object to move, stop, or change direction |
| friction | a force that opposes motion between two surfaces that are touching |
| gravity | the force that pulls objects toward earth |
| weight | A measure of the force of gravity on an object |
| mass | a measure of the amount of matter an object contains |
| work | Force x Distance |
| gear | a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion |
| fulcrum | the pivot about which a lever turns |
| axle | a shaft on which a wheel rotates |
| load | The weight or resistance that is moved using a simple machine. |
| complex machine | a machine made of many simple and compound machines |
| effort | The force applied to move a load using a simple machine |
| Rube Goldberg | Engineer, writer, and cartoonist who drew cartoons using complicated machines to accomplish a simple task; a type of machine that makes a simple task extremely complicated. |
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