Activity Sheet 1, Part A
Name/Date
Measuring Force
1. Describe how to make each toy move.
paddle ball
plastic frog
walking spring toy
superball
hand-copter
spinning top
suction-cup ball
toy car
2. What is another word for a push or a pull?
3. Practice using your push-pull meter. Apply the following
amounts of force to your partner’s finger:
X units of force
2 units of force
7
8
5
6
3
4
1
2
O
4 units of force
1
2
4
3
6
5
8
7
8 units of force
8
6
7
4
5
2
3
1
O
2
1
4
3
6
5
8
7
Take the reading at
the farthest point the
rubber band reaches.
This push measures
4
units of force.
Activity Sheet 1, Part B
Name/Date
Measuring Force
4. How much force did it take to move the following objects?
Write your answers in the table.
Amount of Force Used
Object Moved
push empty soda can
push full soda can
pick up scissors
push book
pull book
pick up book
5. How much force did it take to lift the book 1 inch?
6 inches? 12 inches? Write your answers in the table.
Object
Distance Moved
book
lift 1 inch
book
lift 6 inches
book
lift 12 inches
6
Amount of Force Used
Activity Sheet 2, Part A
Name/Date
Work in Motion
1. What three things do you need in order to do work?
a.
b.
c.
2. Use your push-pull
meter to lift three
objects from the floor
to your desktop. Fill in
the chart below.
Object
Distance Moved
Amount of Force
3. In which case was the most work accomplished?
4. In which case was the least amount of work accomplished?
8
Activity Sheet 2, Part B
Name/Date
Work in Motion
5. List some machines that you use or see every day.
6. Choose one machine on your list. Draw a picture of that
machine. Then draw pictures of some of the parts that make
up the machine. Label the parts.
10
Activity Sheet 3, Part A
Name/Date
Levers for Lifting
1. This is a drawing of a first-class lever. Label the arm,
fulcrum, effort, and load in the drawing below.
2. Where is the fulcrum located?
3. How do the load and effort move?
4. How much force did you use to lift the load each time?
Measure with your push-pull meter. Write your answers in
the table.
Amount of Force
Needed to Lift Load
Position of
Fulcrum
Middle
Closer to Effort
Closer to Load
5. Finish the following sentence. It was easiest to lift the load
when the fulcrum was located
.
12
Activity Sheet 3, Part B
Name/Date
Levers for Lifting
6. How far did the effort and load move each time? Measure
with a ruler. Write your answers in the table.
Position
of Fulcrum
Distance
Effort Moved (cm)
Distance
Load Moved
Middle
Closer to Effort
Closer to Load
7. You know that the closer the fulcrum is to the load, the
easier it is to lift the load. But there is a tradeoff. Look at the
table above. What is that tradeoff?
14
Activity Sheet 4, Part A
Name/Date
Friction Stops Motion
1. What did you feel when you rubbed your hands together?
a. What did you hear?
b. What caused this?
2. You applied motion lotion to your hands and rubbed them
together. What did you feel?
3. Motion lotion is a kind of lubricant.
What are lubricants used for?
7
8
4
5
6
2
3
8
6
1
1
O
7
3
4
3
2
5
1
2
6
5
4
2
8
7
O
1
3
5
4
8
Distance
Moved
7
Amount
of Force
6
4. Use your push-pull meter to
slide your washers as shown.
How far will your stack of
washers move? Record your
results. Did you use lubrication?
Write yes or no.
Did You Use
Lubrication?
6 units
8 units
6 units
8 units
16
Activity Sheet 4, Part B
Name/Date
Friction Stops Motion
5. How did using lubrication change your results?
6. What are two ways to get an object to move farther?
a.
b.
7. What are some good lubricants? Why?
8. What are some other ways to reduce friction between
moving objects?
18
Activity Sheet 5
Name/Date
Wheels Overcome Friction
1. This building stone is very heavy and hard to move! How
could these workers make it easier to move the stone?
2. Why doesn’t your brick slide easily?
3. How much force did it take to drag the brick?
4. How much force did it take to roll the brick on dowels?
5. A roller is a kind of wheel. How do wheels make it easier to
move things?
6. Now you know how the workers moved the building stone
with less force. Finish the picture above by drawing the
missing parts.
20
Activity Sheet 6, Part A
Name/Date
The Wheel and Axle
1. All of these objects are wheel and axle machines. Label the
wheel and the axle in each picture.
Screwdriver
Faucet
Steering Column
Rolling Pin
22
Activity Sheet 6, Part B
Name/Date
The Wheel and Axle
2. What happened to the axle when you turned the wheel?
3. What happened to the wheel when you turned the axle?
4. Are the wheel and the axle the same size?
Which is bigger?
5. Do you think it will take more effort or less effort to lift the
washers by turning the wheels?
6. Did it take more effort or less effort to lift the washers by
turning the wheels?
7. How many turns did it take to raise the washers:
by turning the dowel?
by turning the wheels?
8. What is the tradeoff when using a wheel and axle to do
work?
24
Activity Sheet 7, Part A
Name/Date
Gears: Wheels with Teeth
Build each gear system. Draw an arrow to show the direction
each gear wheel turns. Then answer the questions for each
gear system.
1.
A
Number of teeth:
A
B
B
Do both gears turn
at the same rate?
Which turns faster?
Which turns slower?
2.
A
Number of teeth:
A
B
B
Do both gears turn
at the same rate?
Which turns faster?
Which turns slower?
3.
A
Number of teeth:
A
B
B
Do both gears turn
at the same rate?
Which turns faster?
Which turns slower?
26
Activity Sheet 7, Part B
Name/Date
Gears: Wheels with Teeth
Build each gear system. Draw an arrow to show the direction
each gear wheel turns. Then answer the questions for each
gear system.
4.
A
Number of teeth:
A
B
B
Which turns faster?
Which turns slower?
5.
A
B
Number of teeth:
A
B
C
C
Which turns fastest?
Which turns slowest?
6.
A
B
Number of teeth:
A
B
C
C
Which turns fastest?
Which turns slowest?
28
Activity Sheet 8, Part A
Name/Date
Pulleys: Groovy Wheels
1. How is a pulley like a wheel and axle?
2. How is a pulley different from a wheel and axle?
3. Look at the picture. Draw an
arrow to show which direction
you pull on the string. Then
draw an arrow to show which
direction the load moves when
the string is pulled.
4. How much force does it take to lift the washers by hand?
5. How much force does it take to lift the washers with a single,
fixed pulley?
6. How does a single, fixed pulley make it easier to lift a load?
30
Activity Sheet 8, Part B
Name/Date
Pulleys: Groovy Wheels
7. Look at the picture. Draw an
arrow to show which direction
you pull on the string. Then draw
an arrow to show which direction
the load moves when the string is
pulled.
8. How much force does it take to lift the washers with a
single, movable pulley?
9. When you pulled the string 12 inches, how far did the load
move?
10. How does a single, movable pulley make it easier to lift a
load?
11. What is the tradeoff when using a single, movable pulley?
32
Activity Sheet 9, Part A
Name/Date
Inclined Planes
8
8
7
7
6
6
5
5
4
4
3
3
2
2
1
1
O
stack of books about 4 inches high
O
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
push-pull meter
S-hook
string
brick half
1. Lift the brick to the top of the books.
Amount of force needed to lift brick:
Distance brick was lifted:
units
inches
short board
stack of books about 4 inches high
2. Drag the brick up the inclined plane to the top of the books.
Amount of force needed to drag brick:
Distance brick was dragged:
34
inches
units
Activity Sheet 9, Part B
Name/Date
Inclined Planes
3. How can you make it even easier to drag the brick to the top
of the books?
Amount of force needed to drag brick:
Distance brick was dragged:
units
inches
4. How do inclined planes make work easier?
5. What is the tradeoff when using an inclined plane?
36
Activity Sheet 10, Part A
Name/Date
Wedges
1. How is a wedge like an inclined plane?
2. How is a wedge different from an inclined plane?
3. Draw an arrow to show the
direction the wedge moves.
Then draw two more arrows to
show how the books move when
the wedge is pushed between
them.
4. Because of their shape, wedges
are used for cutting, splitting, piercing, and separating.
Circle all the wedges in the box below.
38
Activity Sheet 10, Part B
Name/Date
Wedges
5. How much force did it take to lift the book by hand?
6. How much force did it take to lift the book with the wedge?
7. How does a wedge make it easier to lift a load?
8. How far did the book get lifted by the wedge?
9. How far did the wedge have to move to lift the book that
distance?
10. What is the tradeoff when using a wedge to lift a load?
40
Activity Sheet 11, Part A
Name/Date
Screws
1. The screw is related to what other simple machine?
2. How is a nail like a screw? How is a nail different from a
screw?
4. Draw an arrow to show the
direction in which the
screwdriver turns the screw.
Then draw another arrow to
show the direction that the
screw moves into the wood.
3. Draw an arrow to show the
direction in which the
hammer hits the nail head.
Then draw another arrow to
show the direction that the
nail moves into the wood.
42
Activity Sheet 11, Part B
Name/Date
Screws
5. Which was easier to drive into the wood: the nail or the screw?
Which took longer to drive?
6. How do screws make your work easier?
7. What is the tradeoff when using a screw?
8. On the back of this paper, tape the two pieces of string.
Label one “Length of Nail.” Label the other “Length of Screw
Threads.” Which is longer?
46
Screw Pattern
2
1
3
1
3
2
2
3
2
50
1
1
3
Activity Sheet 12, Part A
Name/Date
Handy Dandy Simple Machines
Name of Gadget
Example:
cheese grater
What Does It Do?
scrape cheese from
a block
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
52
Simple Machine
wedge
Activity Sheet 12, Part B
Name/Date
Handy Dandy Simple Machines
Use this sheet to make notes for your infomercial.
1. Name of gadget:
2. What is it used for?
3. What type of simple machine is it?
4. What are the parts of this simple machine?
5. Explain how the gadget works.
6. How does this gadget make work easier?
7. Complete your presentation by telling your audience
the price (
) and how to order the gadget.
Use the back of this page.
56
Name/Date
Word Work
Find and circle the words about work.
Most of the words are printed across or down.
Backward Bonus:
One word is backward. It is an Egyptian building made of huge stones.
Diagonal Double:
Two words are printed on a slant. They name the simple machine that is like a ramp.
X
P
D
A
W
E
D
G
E
A
X
L
E
G
Y
U
O
M
O
T
I
O
N
C
M
K
K
E
F
S
X
I
O
D
N
M
B
L
A
S
W
A
R
H
P
P
K
L
F
U
L
C
R
U
M
R
I
D
I
N
I
E
O
H
G
I
H
Z
A
D
C
S
V
K
S
N
R
V
E
F
L
J
C
P
T
E
O
A
E
D
C
W
C
W
E
M
H
S
I
L
T
W
H
E
E
L
A
X
V
A
I
G
O
O
D
E
E
U
G
C
I
S
E
Y
N
P
N
A
I
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S
C
R
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W
N
R
V
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B
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A
D
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A
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P
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G
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B
C
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R
V
N
Q
S
D
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P
Z
P
L
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M
E
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R
B
X
E
X
U
G
A
D
G
E
T
P
O
U
B
T
Y
arm
axle
force
friction
fulcrum
gadget
gear
inclined
lever
machine
meter
motion
pivot
plane
pulley
push
Your Score
20 ..................Master worker. Powerful!
15–19 ............Hard worker. Great effort!
10–14 ............Steady worker. Keep pushing!
Under 10........You need another workout. Don’t give up!
58
pyramid
screw
wedge
wheel