Title: Ooh, What Small Biceps You Have!

Background: To state only that simple machines magnify our efforts is an enormous understatement. Put more dramatically, they have moved us from the point where we clawed at the floor of Africa with our hands to that where we push the "UP" button in an express elevator and in just over a minute ascend more than 100 floors to the top of the World Trade Towers in New York. On a more personal level, many of our body's motions would not be possible except for the delicately balanced, smoothly functioning network of interconnected simple machines that is our skeleton.

Process: Carry out the investigations and answer the questions.

Go to: http://www.coe.uh.edu/archive/science/science_lessons/scienceles1/finalhome.htm

1. What do simple machines do?
2. a) Name the simple machines.
    b) Think: Name unusual uses for each simple machine.
    c) Then, make a sketch of each use. Label resistance and effort areas and how the machine will
        move when it works.
3. How are the screw and inclined plane related?
4. Which type of mechanical advantage is based on the design of a machine?
5. Which type of mechanical advantage is based on the actual use of a machine?
6. Which type of mechanical advantage is based on the effect of friction?
7. What does the efficiency of a simple machine tell us?
8. Look at the CD-ROM entitled Leonardo: The Inventor. On the flags page, click on the British
    flag. Click through to the Contents page. Click on Index and then examine each invention to
    determine which simple machines (if any) are a dominant part of Leonardo's design.
9. a) Which simple machines are found in the human body?
    b) Within an outline of your body, sketch one example of each type of simple machine found
        in your skeleton.
    c) What is the function of each of our body's simple machines?
10. One of the most imaginative inventors of fanciful contraptions was Rube Goldberg. Go to:
      http://www.rubegoldberg.com/
      a) Create an original 200 word summary of the life of Rube Goldberg.
      b) Choose any one image from his gallery and print it.
      c) Then, label the simple machines contained within the contraption depicted in image.
      d) Choose three areas and explain if their IMA.
      e) Explain the one area that has the greatest friction.