Simple Machines Used in Cars
Cars use tools called simple machines that help them move and work. There are six main simple machines used in cars that are good to know about: levers, inclined planes, wedges, pulleys, screws, and wheels and axles. Each of these simple machines has an essential job in a car.
Lever
Levers are the first simple machines that help cars work better. A lever uses a stiff bar that pivots at one spot, called a fulcrum. Pushing down or pulling up on one end of the lever makes the other end move. One common example of a lever is a seesaw. Levers allow you to move something heavy easily with just a little effort. The steering wheel, pedals, and stick shift are examples of essential levers in a car. Turning the steering wheel moves a lever that steers the front tires. Pushing the pedals makes levers slow down or speed up the car. Shifting gears uses a lever to change them smoothly. Without levers, driving would be so much more challenging!
Inclined Plane
An inclined plane is one of the simple machines that helps cars drive up hills. It makes a slanted ramp instead of going straight up. Driving on an inclined plane is like walking up a playground slide; going up the ramp is easier than climbing straight up. Roads use inclined planes called grades to make sloped ramps up hills. Without inclined planes, cars would have to go straight up hills, which can be pretty hard if the hills is very steep! The engine might not even be strong enough.
Wedge
A wedge is a simple machine shaped like a triangle that can split things apart or hold things in place. Examples of wedges in cars include doorstops, which are little wedges that keep the doors open when you open them. Wedges are also used in the suspension system to hold parts steady as they move up and down when driving.
Pulley
A pulley is a wheel with a groove around the edge that holds a rope, cable, or chain. In cars, pulleys use a belt to move the power from the engine to the wheels. The belt loops around the pulleys that are connected to the engine and tires. When the engine spins its pulley, the belt moves. This makes the pulleys on the wheels spin around, too, so the engine’s power gets passed to the wheels to make the car move. Pulleys let the engine make the tires spin without touching them directly.
Screw
Screws are another of the simple machines that help hold cars together. Screws let you fasten things tightly together. Cars use lots of screws to hold parts in place because they join metal, plastic, or wood pieces snugly. Screws attach the body panels, wheels, windows, seats, and many other parts. Small screws also adjust the position of things like mirrors and headlights. Without screws keeping everything securely fastened, cars would fall apart as they zoom down the road!
Wheel and Axle
Wheels and axles are simple machines that let cars roll down the road. Wheels are round discs that spin and touch the ground. Axles are rods that go through the centers of wheels and connect them to the car. The wheels spin around freely on the axles. The engine makes the axles spin, which makes the wheels move. Friction between the spinning wheels and the road surface pushes the car forward. Without wheels rolling on axles, cars couldn’t go anywhere! Wheels and axles help change the engine’s power into movement to cruise down the street.
- Simple Machines
- Engineering: Simple Machines
- Bo’s Pet Problem Game
- Types of Simple Machines
- Simple Machines: Levers
- Six Simple Machines: Making Work Easier
- Here’s How Simple Machines Make Life Easier
- Simple Machines Game
- Wheels and Axles: Simple Machine Activities for Kids
- Learn About Simple Machines by Racing Race Cars
- Make an Archimedes Screw
- Build a Hand-Crank Winch
- How to Make a Compound Machine
- How to Move a Car
- Games and Activities With Simple Machines
- Marble Run Inclined Plane
- A Thing or 2 About Simple Machines
- Simple Machines: Gear Play for Kids
- Pulleys and Simple Machines
- Shipping a Car Across the U.S.
- Inclined Plane Examples
This page was last updated by Marc Gregory
