I don't know what says fall like a pile of pumpkins. I thought it would be fun to use them in some of our simple machine stations today--it definitely brightened things up! I had 7 stations set up, working with levers, pulleys, wheels and axles, screws, inclined planes, wedges, and a bonus station on buoyancy and Archimedes' Principle--not a simple machine, but as a scientist who had a lot to do with our understanding of several of the simple machines, I thought it fit. Many of the stations involved using a spring scale to measure the force, in Newtons, that was needed to do the work on the pumpkin. Others involved creating the simple machine and practicing using it. Almost all of them involved a pumpkin. They used pulleys to lift a pumpkin, measuring the difference in force needed when using different numbers of pulleys. They tested first class levers, finding the best place to place the fulcrum to lift the pumpkin, or launch it :). They pulled pumpkins up different inclined planes, on various wheels, and moved wedges through a corn bin. Hopefully, everyone is feeling familiar with the simple machines and how they work. If you are interested in doing a little more with this topic, check out the ideas below. Additional InformationVideos:
Bozeman Science--Simple Machines Work, force, and simple machines. The Wooden Winch The mechanics of winches came up in class--this 10 minute video walks through the process of making a wooden winch, showing how it works for anyone interested. Activities: Pumpkin School Need something to do with your pumpkins this fall? Try these other math and science ideas. 30 Simple Machine Projects Links to fun ideas for learning about the different simple machines. Pick your favorite machine and try one of the ideas here.
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May 2020
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