Mission Objective

In Intro to Simple Machines, apprentices will learn about some of the fundamental mechanisms of engineering: the pulley, the lever, the wheel, the inclined plane and the gear. They will see how all of these machines trade force for distance in a phenomenon called mechanical advantage. They'll learn a little of the mathematics behind mechanical advantage and how to recognize devices that use it. They are also going to be building and testing their own simple machines, witnessing for themselves how mechanical advantage can amplify their strength, or their reach, when moving heavy objects.