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Vocabulary
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| glossary http://www.edheads.org/activities/simple-machines/glossary.htm | |
| Compound
Machine |
two
or more simple machines working together to make work easier. Examples: Wheelbarrow, Can Opener, Bicycle |
| Energy | the ability to do work |
| Force | a push or a pull, that causes a change in the motion or shape of an object. Some types of forces are gravity, electricity, magnetism, and friction. |
| Fulcrum | a fixed pivot point |
| Gears |
two
toothed wheels fit together either directly or through a chain or belt so
one wheel will turn the other. Some gears may have a screw or a toothed
shaft in place of one of the wheels. A gear may also be a combination of
toothed wheels that produces a certain speed (such as a bicycle's top gear
which makes the bike go fast, and the low gear for slow speed.) Examples: Clock, Automobile, Drill |
| Inclined
plane |
a
sloping surface, such as a ramp. An inclined plane can be used to alter
the effort and distance involved in doing work, such as lifting loads. The
trade-off is that an object must be moved a longer distance than if it was
lifted straight up, but less force is needed. Examples: Staircase, Ramp |
| Lever |
a
straight rod or board that pivots on a point known as a fulcrum. The fulcrum
can be moved depending on the weight of the object to be lifted or the force
you wish to exert. Pushing down on one end of a lever results in the upward
motion of the opposite end of the fulcrum. Examples: Door on Hinges, Seesaw, Hammer, Bottle Opener |
| Pulley |
a
wheel that usually has a groove around the outside edge. This groove is
for a rope or belt to move around the pulley. Pulling down on the rope can
lift an object attached to the rope. Work is made easier because pulling
down on the rope is made easier due to gravity. Examples: Flag Pole, Crane, Mini-Blinds |
| Screw |
an
inclined plane wrapped around a shaft or cylinder. This inclined plane allows
the screw to move itself or to move an object or material surrounding it
when rotated. Examples: Bolt, Spiral Staircase |
| Simple
Machine |
a
machine with few or no moving parts. Simple machines make work easier. Examples: Screw, Wheel and Axle, Wedge, Pulley, Inclined Plane, Lever |
| Wedge |
two
inclined planes joined back to back. Wedges are used to split things. Examples: Axe, Zipper, Knife definition and diagram |
| Wheel
and Axle |
a
wheel and axle has a larger wheel (or wheels) connected by a smaller cylinder
(axle) and is fastened to the wheel so that they turn together. When the
axle is turned, the wheel moves a greater distance than the axle, but less
force is needed to move it. The axle moves a shorter distance, but it takes
greater force to move it. Examples: Door Knob, Wagon, Toy Car |
| Work | in science, work is defined as a force acting on an object to move it across a distance. |