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Simple Machines
Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Fulcrum | the point on which a lever rests or is supported and on which it pivots. |
Mechanical advantage | the ratio of the force produced by a machine to the force applied to it |
Kinetic energy | the energy an object has due to its motion |
Potential energy | the amount of energy that is stored in an object; energy that an object has because of its position relative to other objects |
Simple machine | a simple device without moving parts that changes the magnitude or direction of a force |
Work | a force applied to an object over a distance |
Wheel | one of the simple machines; allows things to move easily |
Lever | a simple machine consisting of a solid bar that rotates around a pivot point; used to lift objects |
Pulley | a simple machine consisting of a rope that is wrapped around a wheel; can be used to help lift heavy objects |
Wheel and axle | a wheel attached to an axle so that these two parts rotate together in which a force is transferred from one to the other |
Inclined plane | an object with a flat, tilted surface; a simple machine that helps things roll or slide upward off of the ground |
Power | the ratio of the amount of work done per unit of time, or the rate at which energy is transferred or transformed |
Wedge | a simple machine that can be used to split objects apart, hold objects in place, or lift objects from the ground; consists of two inclined planes joined together |
Screw | a simple machine made of a shaft with grooves that wrap around it going from top to bottom |
Compound machine | simple machines that work together |