Lesson 7 of 7 · Motion and Forces

Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark Lab

Mechanical Advantage

🧪Lab Brief #7

Motion and Forces.

🎯 Your mission

Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.

⚡ The twist

The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.

🤯

Mind = Blown

🎢 You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.

🔮

Make a hypothesis first

Predict: what happens if you double the force?

What You'll Learn

Mechanical advantage tells how much a machine multiplies the force you put in. A machine with a mechanical advantage of four lets you lift a load using only one-fourth of the force, but you must move it a greater distance.

Key Words

Tap a word to see its definition.

Materials Needed

weights
spring scale

Safety First

Have an adult check your set-up before you start, and tidy everything away afterwards.

Steps

Step 1 — Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 — Do

Test friction: pull a weighted box across 4 surfaces (carpet, tile, sandpaper, foil). Use a spring scale to measure the force needed for each.

Step 3 — Observe

Observe what happens and describe it in detail.

Step 4 — Record

Record your observations in your science journal with measurements and descriptions.

Check Your Understanding

Question 1

1 of 3

What is work in science?

How sure are you going to be?😐 maybe

🌍

Where you see this in real life

You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.

🏆

Stretch Challenge

Try this in real life this week.

Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.

👨‍👩‍👧

For the dinner table

“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”

🎯

Next Smart Experiment

We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.

🔬Share card

Share this experiment

Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.

Back

Ready?