Simple Machines: Mechanical Advantage
Clip: Special | 1m 4sVideo has Closed Captions
What is a mechanical advantage?
When you push or pull with a simple machine, you are applying a force and doing work. And, if you get more force out of a machine than you put into it, then that machine has a mechanical advantage. Find out what a mechanical advantage is and why it’s important.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Science Trek is a local public television program presented by IdahoPTV
Major Funding by the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation and Idaho National Laboratory. Additional Funding by the Friends of Idaho Public Television and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Simple Machines: Mechanical Advantage
Clip: Special | 1m 4sVideo has Closed Captions
When you push or pull with a simple machine, you are applying a force and doing work. And, if you get more force out of a machine than you put into it, then that machine has a mechanical advantage. Find out what a mechanical advantage is and why it’s important.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Science Trek
Science Trek is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Science Trek
Science Trek is a place where parents, kids, and educators can watch short, educational videos on a variety of science topics. Every Monday Science Trek releases a new video that introduces children to math, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) career potentials in a fun, informative way.[MUSIC] JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: There're six simple machines: the inclined plane, the pulley, the screw, the wheel and axle, the wedge, and the lever.
When you push or pull with a simple machine, you are applying a force and doing work.
Simple machines make work easier.
And, if you get more force out of a machine than you put into it, then that machine has a mechanical advantage.
A mechanical advantage is the amount of help you get by using a machine instead of doing it yourself.
Cleaning a windshield without help is hard.
But using an ice scraper, which is a type of wedge, makes clearing it much easier.
So, an ice scraper gives you a mechanical advantage.
And, if you put two simple machines together, you get a compound machine.
A bicycle is a combination of wheels and axles, the gears, which are a sort of pulley, and levers.
A compound machine makes work easier because it multiplies the force, And has a greater mechanical advantage.
For more information about simple machines, check out the Science Trek website.
You'll find it at ScienceTrek.org
Simple Machines: Learn About Levers
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: Special | 1m 4s | Levers at work. (1m 4s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
- Science and Nature
Explore scientific discoveries on television's most acclaimed science documentary series.
- Science and Nature
Capturing the splendor of the natural world, from the African plains to the Antarctic ice.
Support for PBS provided by:
Science Trek is a local public television program presented by IdahoPTV
Major Funding by the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation and Idaho National Laboratory. Additional Funding by the Friends of Idaho Public Television and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.