Simple Machines: Levers, Pulleys, Gears and Inclined Planes
A simple machine is a clever tool that lets a small push do a big job. It does not give you free energy — it just rearranges the deal, letting you trade a weak force over a long distance for a strong force over a short distance. Master these six machines and you understand the mechanical heart of almost every device ever built, from a bottle opener to a crane on a Bishkek building site.
What you will learn
- The one big idea behind every simple machine: you trade force for distance, and energy is never created.
- What mechanical advantage (MA) means and how to compute it.
- The three classes of lever, with the moment-balance rule and a fully worked lifting problem.
- How an inclined plane (ramp), wedge and screw all use the same trick.
- How pulleys and a block-and-tackle multiply force — counted from the supporting rope strands.
- The wheel and axle, and how gears trade torque for speed using tooth counts.
- How real devices (a bicycle) combine many simple machines into a compound machine.