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⚙️ Simple machines

How does a lever help you lift heavy things? Simple, true simple machines facts for young children, each with a fun fact, a tiny activity and a question to talk about together.

Tap a question to reveal the answer, share the fun fact, try the tiny activity, then talk about it together.

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How does a lever help you lift heavy things? Revealexpand_more

A lever is a stiff bar that rests on a support called a pivot. When you push down on the long end, the short end lifts a heavy load with far less effort than lifting it directly. The longer the bar on your side, the easier the load feels. A seesaw is a lever you can sit on.

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Talk about itWhere have you seen a seesaw or a bottle opener, which are both levers?

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Did you know?With a long enough lever, you could lift something many times heavier than yourself.

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Try itBalance a ruler on a pencil, put a coin on one end and press the other. Feel how the pivot shares the work.

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⚙️🪢How does a pulley lift a load?📐Why is it easier to push something up a ramp than to lift it?⚙️How do gears work together?

🤖Still curious?What are some everyday tools that are really levers?arrow_forward

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How does a pulley lift a load? Revealexpand_more

A pulley is a wheel with a rope running over it. Pulling down on one end of the rope lifts a load on the other end, and using several pulleys together shares the weight so it feels much lighter. It also lets you pull down while the load goes up, which is often easier.

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Talk about itWhat heavy thing would you most like a pulley to help you lift?

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Did you know?Cranes at building sites use big pulley systems to lift heavy beams high in the air.

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Try itLoop a string over a smooth rod or railing and lift a small bag by pulling the other side down.

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⚙️⚖️How does a lever help you lift heavy things?⚙️How do gears work together?🏙️How do skyscrapers stand up so tall?

🤖Still curious?Why is it easier to pull down than to lift up?arrow_forward

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Why is it easier to push something up a ramp than to lift it? Revealexpand_more

A ramp is a slope that lets you raise something without lifting it straight up. You push it a longer distance, but with much less effort at each step, so heavy things feel easier to move. Trading a bigger distance for less effort is one of the oldest tricks in building.

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Talk about itWhere have you seen a ramp used instead of stairs?

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Did you know?The ancient pyramids may have been built by dragging huge stones up long ramps.

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Try itPush a toy car straight up a wall, then up a gentle slope. The slope makes the same climb far easier.

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⚙️⚖️How does a lever help you lift heavy things?🪢How does a pulley lift a load?🌉How do bridges hold up so much weight?

🤖Still curious?Why do wheelchairs and trolleys use ramps?arrow_forward

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How do gears work together? Revealexpand_more

Gears are wheels with teeth around the edge that lock into each other. When one gear turns, its teeth push the next gear along, so they all spin together. A small gear turning a big one makes it go slower but stronger, while a big gear turning a small one makes it go faster.

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Talk about itWhat machines have you seen that use gears?

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Did you know?The gears on a bicycle let you pedal easily uphill and speed along on the flat.

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Try itInterlock your fingers loosely and turn your hands. See how one hand turning drives the other, like gear teeth.

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⚙️⚖️How does a lever help you lift heavy things?🔄How does an electric motor spin?🪢How does a pulley lift a load?

🤖Still curious?Why does changing gears on a bike make pedalling easier or harder?arrow_forward

⚙️ Simple machines

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