New
New
Year 5

How pulleys can help us

I can describe how pulleys can make difficult work easier.

New
New
Year 5

How pulleys can help us

I can describe how pulleys can make difficult work easier.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A pulley is a simple mechanism or machine, used in everyday life, which is useful for lifting things.
  2. A pulley often consists of a wheel with a groove, through which a string or rope runs.
  3. The object you are lifting is called the load, and the force you apply to make an object move is called the effort.
  4. Some pulleys make it easier because they change the direction of the force needed to lift an object.
  5. Some pulleys make it easier to lift an object because they decrease the effort or force needed.

Keywords

  • Pull - A pull is a force that brings an object closer.

  • Pulley - A pulley is a simple mechanism or machine which is useful for lifting things.

  • Load - The load is the object you are lifting with a simple machine.

  • Effort - The effort is the force needed to do a job.

  • Force - A force is a push or a pull. Forces can make objects move, slow down, change direction or change shape.

Common misconception

All pulleys have the wheel attached to a ceiling.

Examples will be given of different types of simple pulleys.

Encourage children to notice how pulleys make everyday life easier and investigate the different ways in which they can make it easier to lift a load.
Teacher tip

Equipment

See additional resources.

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What do pull forces do?
move objects further away
Correct answer: move objects closer
keep objects in the same position
Q2.
Which of these activities involve a push force?
brushing hair
Correct answer: turning on a switch
Correct answer: walking
Q3.
Gravity is the force that attracts or objects to Earth.
Correct Answer: pulls, pull
Q4.
A seesaw is an example of what type of simple machine or mechanism?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: lever, Lever, a lever
Q5.
When you use a lever, what do you call the force used to move an object.
the push
Correct answer: the effort
the pull
the load
Q6.
What is the name given to the thing you lift using a lever?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: load, the load, Load, The load

6 Questions

Q1.
A is a simple mechanism or machine, involving a wheel and rope or chain, which is useful for lifting things.
Correct Answer: pulley, Pulley
Q2.
What is the word used to describe the force you apply when using a pulley to lift something?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: effort, Effort, the effort, The effort
Q3.
Which of these images shows a correctly labelled pulley?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q4.
Which of these pieces of equipment can often use pulleys?
seesaw
Correct answer: elevator or lift
Correct answer: garage door
Q5.
Which of these pulleys does not change the direction of the effort needed to lift the load?
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q6.
How does this pulley make it easier to lift the load?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: It changes the direction of the effort needed to lift the load.
It changes the amount of effort needed to lift the load.

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