Simple Machines - Grade 6

December 2011

As part of their study of simple machines in Science, sixth grade students investigated the lever and fulcrum. Using the formula work equals force times distance, they tested how the length of the lever in relation to its position on the fulcrum affected the amount of force needed to move the load (1800 gram brick) a certain distance. They used a spring scale to measure force in newtons, a meter stick to measure the distance and joules to measure the amount of work done.