Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Playing on a Simple Machine

Levers are simple machines that, like pulleys, change the direction of a force. If you push down on a lever, you can change the force's direction to go up. A lever has a board or pole and a fulcrum. The fulcrum is where the change in direction happens.

Today's reading uses a seesaw, or teeter totter, to demonstrate how a lever works. This video shows three performers using a seesaw - they call it a teeterboard - to do things you'll never see on the playground. (At least I hope not!) When one person pushes down on the lever, what happens to the person on the other side? Remember, the direction of the force changes.

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