Is Your Thumb A Green Thumb?
by Mia
When I say the word simple machine would you be able to understand it and can you name some of them for me? For the people that don’t know the meaning I would like to introduce the word. A simple machine is a thing that helps your every day life and makes work easier. An example is a lever. You mite not have noticed, but many things around you are simple machines. Everything in our world uses a lot of force, work and energy, they help us a lot by making us stick to the ground, place your stuff where you want to and when you want to open your closet force works, a push and pull!!
In our class we learned all the forces that we could think of and our latest project was to make a thing that makes life easier and it had to be combined with simple machines!!! I thought of a machine that would water your plants when you’re not at home. So here’s how it goes.
Make a seesaw (a lever) and fill a cup half way full of water. On the other side of the seesaw you would put a heavy ball. The seesaw needs to be high, and next to it make an inclined plane (a simple machine). On the edge on the inclined plane you glue a clothespin, with one side slated above the inclined plane. The clothespin holds the pulley’s (a simple machine) string by pinching it. On the other end of the pulleys string there would be a balloon filled with water. Under the balloon there is a tray with holes and needles to pop the balloon and under that would be the pot witch you’re trying to water. Point; Remember the seesaw needs to be balanced, so if the ball doesn’t balance with the cup you would need to adjust the amount of water. The inclined plane needs to be right next to the seesaw!! The tray needs to be on a stand so the pot can go under it!! The tray would need to have needles looking up!!!
CONCLUSIONS
When you leave your seesaw outside the water evaporates making the cup lighter. Gravity is working and pulling the seesaw down, then the ball goes rolling down the inclined plane. In Newton’s (the person that figured out force) law a thing in motion will stay in motion unless another force bothers it. The clothespin stops the ball when the ball hits the handle of the clothespin and when the pin opens. Friction (a force moving in two directions) happens so the string goes flying across and the balloon will fall to the tray because the gravity is pulling it. When the balloon hits the tray it will pop because of the sharp needles and the water will drip trough the holes watering the plant.
Simple machines will always help your life and force will always help too!!!
Page made by Mia
Janurary,19,2004