{"id":8644,"date":"2025-11-28T10:04:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T10:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/examples-of-simple-machines\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T10:04:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T10:04:09","slug":"examples-of-simple-machines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/examples-of-simple-machines\/","title":{"rendered":"Examples of Simple Machines"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alright, so picture this: it\u2019s 2019, and I\u2019m standing in my garage staring at a broken garage door spring. My 8-year-old is yelling that the ice cream truck\u2019s coming, my dog\u2019s chewing on a rogue flip-flop, and I\u2019m sweating through my \u201dKiss the Cook\u201d<\/em> apron like a rookie. That spring? Turns out, it\u2019s a textbook example of a torsion spring<\/em> \u2014 which I didn\u2019t realize until later was basically a coiled-up version of one of those six classic simple machines<\/strong> we all vaguely remember from middle school. (Spoiler: I ended up MacGyver-ing a solution with a broom handle and a cinderblock. More on that later.)<\/p>\n

Let me backtrack. Simple machines? They\u2019re not just textbook diagrams. They\u2019re the unsung heroes hiding in your junk drawer, your kid\u2019s playground, and yes, even your catastrophically messy garage. The thing is, I never really<\/em> got them until I started DIY-ing everything during lockdown. (Turns out, YouTube tutorials + desperation = a crash course in physics.) Here\u2019s what clicked for me:<\/p>\n

\n

1. The Lever: My Gateway Drug to Not Ruining My Back<\/strong>
\nRemember that garage door disaster? The spring snapped because I\u2019d been forcing the door open like a linebacker for months. A neighbor finally took pity and said, \u201cDude \u2014 where\u2019s your crowbar<\/em>?\u201d Turns out, that rusty Craftsman tool buried under my camping gear was a lever<\/strong>. We wedged it under the door, used the edge of my driveway as a fulcrum, and popped it open like a soda can. Mind. Blown.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Lightbulb moment<\/strong>: Levers aren\u2019t just for pirates and demolition crews. They\u2019re in scissors<\/strong> (two levers glued together), bottle openers<\/strong>, even your elbow<\/em> (seriously \u2014 your forearm\u2019s a lever lifting that coffee mug).<\/li>\n
  • Rookie mistake I made<\/strong>: Trying to pry open a paint can with a butter knife. Don\u2019t be me.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \n

    2. The Pulley: How I Became the Neighborhood \u201cChristmas Light Guy\u201d<\/strong>
    \nFast-forward to 2020. My wife jokingly dared me to hang 500 feet of LED lights on our roof. I bought a $12 pulley system from Harbor Freight, rigged it to our maple tree, and \u2014 holy chipotle mayo \u2014 it worked. Pulleys reduce the force needed to lift stuff by redirecting the load.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Real-life examples<\/strong>: Window blinds<\/strong> (pull the cord, blinds go up), flagpoles<\/strong>, rock-climbing gear<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
    • Why it matters<\/strong>: That time I threw out my back lifting a Costco mattress? Could\u2019ve avoided it with a pulley and a sturdy ladder.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \n

      3. The Inclined Plane: Or, How I Convinced My Kids Ramps Are Cool<\/strong>
      \nLast summer, my son\u2019s science fair project was \u201cWhy Grandma\u2019s Wheelchair Ramp Is Genius.\u201d We built a mini ramp for his Hot Wheels and timed how steepness affected speed. Inclined planes<\/strong> \u2014 ramps, basically \u2014 trade distance for effort. The longer the ramp, the less muscle you need.<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Where you\u2019ll spot them<\/strong>: Staircases<\/strong> (angled to make climbing easier), driveway ramps<\/strong>, even fork tines<\/strong> (they wedge food up, like a tiny ramp!).<\/li>\n
      • Facepalm moment<\/strong>: I once tried dragging a fridge up my porch steps without a ramp. My chiropractor still brings it up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \n

        4. The Screw: Not Just for IKEA Furniture<\/strong>
        \nMy \u201caha\u201d moment with screws came when I accidentally stripped one while assembling a Target bookshelf. Screws are basically inclined planes wrapped around a cylinder<\/strong>. The threads let you push or pull with way less force.<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Everyday screws<\/strong>: Jar lids<\/strong> (twisting = upward force), lightbulbs<\/strong>, meat grinders<\/strong>.<\/li>\n
        • Pro tip<\/strong>: Rub a candle on screw threads for easier drilling. (Learned that from a 78-year-old hardware store clerk named Vern. Legend.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n

          5. The Wedge: Why My Kitchen Drawer Is Full of \u2018Em<\/strong>
          \nWedges split things apart. Think axes<\/strong>, knives<\/strong>, even doorstops<\/strong>. But my favorite? The humble chip clip<\/strong>. One night, after my 5th attempt to reseal a Cheetos bag failed, I jammed a butter knife horizontally into the opening. Voil\u00e0 \u2014 DIY wedge.<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Unconventional hack<\/strong>: Use a wedge-shaped rock to prop open your screen door during summer BBQs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
            \n

            6. The Wheel and Axle: More Than Just Car Parts<\/strong>
            \nThis one\u2019s sneaky. It\u2019s not just wheels \u2014 it\u2019s any combo where rotation amplifies force. Doorknobs<\/strong>, gears in a can opener<\/strong>, even the spinny thing on your office chair<\/strong>. When the wheel (bigger part) turns the axle (smaller part), you get mechanical advantage.<\/p>\n

              \n
            • Epic fail<\/strong>: I once replaced my office chair wheels with rollerblade wheels. Do not recommend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
              \n

              So why should you care?<\/strong>
              \nBecause simple machines are everywhere once you start looking. That can opener<\/strong> you used this morning? Lever + wheel and axle. The zipper<\/strong> on your hoodie? Wedges and levers dancing together. They\u2019re the reason humans built pyramids, skyscrapers, and yes, even over-the-top Halloween decorations.<\/p>\n

              Try this<\/strong>: Walk around your house and play \u201cI Spy\u201d with simple machines. Your coffee grinder? Screw. The seesaw at the park? Lever. The ramp into Starbucks? Inclined plane. It\u2019s like being in on a secret code.<\/p>\n

              And hey \u2014 if my cinderblock-and-broomstick garage door fix taught me anything, it\u2019s that you don\u2019t need fancy tools. Just a little physics, a lot of trial and error, and maybe a Band-Aid or two. Now go impress your kids\/neighbors\/dog with your newfound simple machine superpowers. (Or at least, stop fighting with your jar of pickles.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Alright, so picture this: it\u2019s 2019, and I\u2019m standing in my garage staring at a broken garage door spring. My 8-year-old is yelling that the ice cream truck\u2019s coming, my dog\u2019s chewing on a rogue flip-flop, and I\u2019m sweating through my \u201dKiss the Cook\u201d apron like a rookie. That spring? Turns out, it\u2019s a textbook…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-content"],"modified_by":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8644"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8644\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oreateai.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}