Henry was helping out on apple day at his grandpa's orchard. Henry's dad would put the full apple baskets in the wagon, Henry wheeled the apples to the truck, and Grandpa would lift the baskets up into the bed of the truck.
One time Grandpa was not at the truck when Henry arrived. Henry wanted to finish the job, but was not strong enough or tall enough to lift the baskets up into the truck.
What could Henry do to get the apples in the truck with his little boy muscles? Please use 3-5 sentences to explain your idea using the vocabulary of work and force in your answer.
1 answer
Henry could use a lever to lift the baskets up into the truck. A lever is a simple machine that uses a force applied at a pivot point to move an object. Henry could place the pivot point of the lever under the basket and use a long stick to push down on the other end of the lever. This would create a mechanical advantage, meaning that the force applied by Henry would be multiplied, allowing him to lift the basket with his little boy muscles. He could also use a ramp to roll the baskets up into the truck. This would reduce the amount of force needed to move the baskets up into the truck. Finally, Henry could use a pulley system to lift the baskets up into the truck. A pulley system uses a rope and a wheel to reduce the amount of force needed to lift an object.
1 answer