INTRODUCTION TO MECHANICAL PHYSICS

Jumpstart your study of mechanical physics by learning all about simple machines and how they’re used to make complex tasks easier to do. The seesaw at the playground, the wheelbarrow in your backyard, the flagpole in front of your school － all of these are examples of simple machines in the real world! So start building, investigating, and experimenting to discover how physics is all around us.

Through 26 model-building exercises, you'll investigate all six classic simple machines － wheels and axles, levers, pulleys, inclined planes, screws, and wedges － as well as gears. Start off with simple models to gain a firm understanding of the basic principles at play, and then move onto larger, more complex models to push the machines harder and see how they can work together. Also included is a specially designed spring scale so that you can measure how the machines change the direction and magnitude of forces, making work easier to do.