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50 free Simple Machines trivia questions with answers — science & nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
Six simple machines explain almost every tool in your house, from the bottle opener to the doorknob. This trivia about simple machines covers the lever and its three classes, pulleys and the block and tackle, inclined planes, wedges, screws and the wheel and axle, plus Archimedes, mechanical advantage and the history behind each one. Built for classroom review and science quiz nights. Every answer is sourced, with a short explanation so you learn something even when you miss.
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Q 01How many classical simple machines did Renaissance scientists define?
Six
The list is the lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge and screw.
Q 02Which of these is NOT one of the six classical simple machines?
Gear
Gears are combinations of wheels; later engineers such as Franz Reuleaux catalogued hundreds of such "machine elements".
Q 03The ratio of a machine's output force to the force applied is called what?
Mechanical advantage
Ignoring friction, the work done on the load equals the work done by the applied force.
Q 04A bicycle, which combines wheels, levers and pulleys, is an example of what?
A compound machine
Simple machines are the building blocks from which more complicated machines are built.
Q 05A machine built from several simple machines multiplies force by what, relative to its parts?
The product of their ratios
Two machines that each double force, chained together, quadruple it.
Q 06When a machine multiplies force, what does the load give up in return?
Distance moved
You push a smaller force over a longer distance; the total work stays the same.
Q 07The idea of simple machines originated with a Greek philosopher of which century BC?
3rd
Archimedes studied the lever, pulley and screw and discovered the principle of force multiplication in the lever.
Q 08Which machine was missing from the ancient Greeks' classic list of five?
Inclined plane
Heron of Alexandria listed the lever, windlass, pulley, wedge and screw; the ramp joined the list later.
Q 09Heron of Alexandria's list of five mechanisms that "set a load in motion" appears in which work?
Mechanics
He also described how each was built and used, including a tap for cutting screw threads.
Q 10Who worked out the complete dynamic theory of simple machines in 1600 in Le Mecaniche?
Galileo Galilei
He showed the underlying mathematical similarity of all the machines as force amplifiers.
Q 11By the late 1800s, who had identified hundreds of "machine elements" he called simple machines?
Franz Reuleaux
His catalogue went far beyond the classical six of the Renaissance.
Q 12The Greeks understood the statics of simple machines but lacked which concept?
Work
Their theory covered balance of forces but not the trade-off between force and distance.
Q 13A lever pivots on a fulcrum; what is the force it works against usually called?
The load
The input force is the effort, and the positions of fulcrum, load and effort define the three classes.
Q 21Which part of the human body is cited as a Class III lever?
The mandible (jaw)
The jaw muscles apply effort between the joint and the teeth that do the work.
Q 22The mnemonic "FRE 123" tells you which element is in the middle of each lever class. What is R?
Resistance
Fulcrum in the middle for class 1, resistance for class 2, effort for class 3.
Q 23A lever multiplies force by the ratio of what?
Distances from the fulcrum
A longer input arm and a shorter output arm turn a small push into a big lift.
Q 14The word "lever" comes from Latin levare, rooted in levis, meaning what?
Light
Light as in "not heavy" — the lever makes heavy things feel light.
Q 15The earliest known use of the lever, in Egypt around 5000 BC, was in which device?
A balance scale
Around 3000 BC Mesopotamia added the shadouf, a crane-like lever for lifting.
Q 16The earliest surviving writings about levers date from which century?
Third BC
They are attributed to Archimedes, who promised to move the world given a long enough lever.
Q 17Which of these is a Class II lever, with the load between effort and fulcrum?
A nutcracker
Wheelbarrows, bottle openers and a car's brake pedal work the same way.
Q 18A wheelbarrow, with the load between the effort and the fulcrum, is which class of lever?
Second
Nutcrackers, bottle openers and a car's brake pedal work the same way.
Q 19A pair of tweezers, with the effort between the fulcrum and the load, is which class of lever?
Third
Fishing rods, tongs, hoes and the human jaw are also Class III levers.
Q 20Which of these is a Class I lever?
A crowbar
Its fulcrum sits between the hand and the load, like a seesaw.
Q 24Archimedes formulated the law of the lever using what kind of reasoning?
Geometric
He is credited with claiming he could move the whole world given a place to stand.
Q 25An "ideal" machine is assumed to be free of what?
Friction
It also has no power source and is built of rigid bodies that do not bend or wear.
Q 26Several pulleys assembled to lift heavy loads with a rope form what device?
A block and tackle
One block is fixed to a mounting point and the other moves with the load.
Q 27The ideal force multiplication of a pulley set equals the number of what?
Rope sections supporting the load
If four rope parts hold the moving block, each carries a quarter of the weight.
Q 28According to Plutarch, Archimedes demonstrated compound pulleys by pulling what toward himself?
A fully laden ship
The ship seemed to glide through the water as if by magic, silencing his doubters.
Q 29Besides rope and cable, which of these can drive a pulley system?
A chain
Belts and chains are common drive elements alongside ropes and cables.
Q 30A ramp multiplies force by its sloped length divided by what?
The height it spans
A longer, gentler ramp means a smaller push over a greater distance.