Printables for Simple Machines

Playground equipment

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A machine is a tool used to make work—the amount of energy required to move an object—easier. 

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Simple Machines Explained

Simple machines, which have been used for thousands of years, can work together to create a greater mechanical advantage, such as with a bicycle. The six simple machines are pulleys, inclined planes, wedges, screws, and wheels and axles. Use these printables to help students learn the terms and science behind simple machines.

02
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Lever Word Search

A lever consists of a long rigid arm (such as a flat board) with a fulcrum along its length, as students will learn from this word search. A fulcrum supports the lever causing the arm to move. One common example of a lever is a seesaw.

03
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Vocabulary With the Pulley

A pulley is a simple machine that helps lift objects. It consists of a wheel on an axle, as students can learn by completing this vocabulary worksheet. The wheel has a groove for a rope. When force is applied to the rope, it moves the object.

04
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Crossword Puzzle With Inclined Plane

An inclined plane is, in its simplest form, a ramp, a fact students will need to know to fill out this crossword puzzle. An inclined plane is used to move objects up or down an incline. A playground slide is one fun example of an inclined plane. Other everyday examples include ramps (such as wheelchair or loading dock ramps), the bed of a dump truck and a staircase.

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Challenge Worksheet Including A Wedge

A wedge is a triangular tool that consists of two inclined planes, something students will need to figure out to complete this ​challenge page. A wedge is commonly used to separate objects more easily, but it can also hold objects together. An ax and a shovel are examples of wedges used to separate things.

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Alphabet Activity Including a Screw

A screw is an inclined plane wrapped around an axis or central shaft, a piece of knowledge you can review with students as they fill out this alphabet activity page. Most screws have grooves or threads such as those you might use to hold two pieces of wood together or hang a picture on a wall.

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Puzzle Page With Wheel and Axle

A wheel and axle work together by combining a larger disc (the wheel) with a smaller cylinder (the axle), which will be useful for students to know as they complete this puzzle page. When force is applied to the wheel, the axle turns. A door knob is an example of a wheel and axle.

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Your Citation
Hernandez, Beverly. "Printables for Simple Machines." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/simple-machines-printables-1832412. Hernandez, Beverly. (2020, August 27). Printables for Simple Machines. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/simple-machines-printables-1832412 Hernandez, Beverly. "Printables for Simple Machines." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/simple-machines-printables-1832412 (accessed March 29, 2024).