Demonstrates mechanical advantage in a differential pulley (Weston hoist). Two locked sheaves of slightly different radii produce a large force multiplication, illustrating how simple machines trade distance for force.
Sit in a chair and lift yourself using a threefold-purchase tackle (MA = 6). The pulling force is one-sixth your weight, but you must pull seven times as much rope …
Demonstrates how mechanical constraints produce counterintuitive motion. As the yo-yo unwinds and falls, its decreasing effective radius releases string, causing the balanced counterweight to descend rather than rise -- challenging …
A mechanical arm model demonstrates the human arm as a lever system. Students measure the muscle force required to hold a load and see how it depends on arm angle …
Demonstrates complex lever actions using a sectioned piano key mechanism. A single key press activates six interconnected levers of all three classes, illustrating torque, mechanical advantage, and energy transfer through …
