Energy is transferred from its source to where it is needed
Levers, ramps, pulleys and gears make tasks easier by transferring energy to where it is needed
EXAMPLE QUESTIONS
What do you think a machine is?
What different machines do you know?
What makes machines ‘go’?
MACHINES MAKE TASKS EASIER
Machines are devices that are designed and used by people to make jobs easier.
Some examples of machines are lawnmowers, sewing machines and computers.
MACHINES NEED ENERGY TO MAKE THEM OPERATE
Energy is essential for machines. Some simple machines get the energy they need from human muscles.
Some require other sources of energy, such as electricity , heat, chemical or nuclear power, or the movement of wind or water.
Some machines keep replaceable or rechargeable energy stored inside them (batteries or wind-up springs, for example); others get heat energy from fuels, such as oil, coal and wood.
Other machines are attached to centrally supplied energy sources (electrical power lines and gas mains).
All machines need a source of energy to make them operate.
MACHINES INVOLVE THE TRANSFER OF ENERGY
All machines take energy from one source and transfer it to another.
A pair of scissors takes energy from our hands and transfers it to the cutting blades.
A car takes the stored energy in petrol and transfers it into heat in the engine and then from the engine to the wheels.
