Simple Machines Around Us
Many everyday tools work because they use one or more simple machines.
A lever helps us multiply force or change the direction of a force. A wedge concentrates force along a sharp edge to cut or split.
Scissors combine levers and wedges. A claw hammer can act as a lever when pulling out a nail. Bottle openers, nutcrackers and squeezers also use leverage to make a task easier.
Look closely: Where is the pivot, where do you apply the effort, and where does the tool act on the load?
Additional Information
The six classic simple machines are lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, and screw. Each one is a basic way to change the size or direction of a force.
Every complicated machine, from a car engine to a pair of scissors, is ultimately built from combinations of these six simple machines.
None of these machines create energy; they only trade force for distance, or distance for force, following the same fixed rule every time.