The Lazy Slope
The inclined plane — and its cousins, the wedge and the screw
What this lesson covers
Why it matters
Nobody lifts a motorcycle onto a truck. They roll it up a plank. The plank has no engine and no muscles — it just makes the whole job politely easier.
Predict first
Rusty, unoiled machines waste your effort because…
Every squeak is friction charging a fee. Oiling and cleaning keep the fee small — machine care is physics, not fussiness.
- friction eats part of the work you put in — correct
- rust makes things heavier
- they don't — machines always work the same
What you do
Loading a 600 N box: lift it straight, or stretch the ramp and stroll it up gently — the slope trades distance for ease.
Check yourself
To keep a bicycle running smoothly you should…
Lubrication fights friction; cleanliness fights rust — the two rules of machine care.
An inclined plane (ramp) trades…
You walk farther along the slope than the straight lift — that's the honest price.
A doorknob, a steering wheel and a screwdriver twisting a screw are all examples of the…
Turn the WIDE wheel with a small force and the thin axle turns with a big one — the sixth simple machine, hiding on every door.
- oil the chain and keep it clean — correct
- wash it with mud
- never use it
- a longer push for a smaller force — correct
- nothing — it's free help
- force for colour
- wheel and axle — a big wheel turning a thin rod — correct
- pulley
- wedge