Build a Simple Machine

Step 1 · Learn it

What a lever does

A lever does not create force. It trades distance for effort: you move further, but you push less hard.

Step 2 · Try it

Build the lever

Rest the stick on the pivot. Put the load on one end and press the other. Then move the pivot and try again.

• Lovia OriginalCreate

  Build a Simple Machine

  Make a lever and a pulley from everyday materials and measure how much easier lifting becomes.

  • Primary · Junior High
  • 40 min
  • Text only
  • Works offline
  • No device needed

  Why Lovia recommends this: Learners feel the difference a machine makes, which explains the idea better than a definition.

  What to do: Build the lever first. Move the pivot and notice when lifting becomes easiest.

  Ghana connection: Look for levers and pulleys at a building site, a well or a market stall.

  For Teachers

  Start Learning

  Lovia Original — created by Lovia School. Rights: Open licence. Last checked 2026-09-10.

Step 3 · See it

See forces at work

Use the forces simulation to test push, pull and friction.

• From PhET Interactive SimulationsExplore

  Forces and motion

  Push, pull, friction and what makes an object speed up or slow down.

  • Primary · Junior High
  • 15 min
  • High data
  • Internet needed
  • Larger screen is easier

  Why Lovia recommends this: Learners can change one thing at a time and see the effect immediately — real experimental thinking.

  What to do: Change only one setting at a time, and write down what happened each time.

  Start LearningOpens trusted learning resource

  Learning resource from PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder. Rights: Link only. Last checked 2026-09-10.

Step 4 · Ghana connection

Levers you already use

A wheelbarrow, a pair of scissors and a bottle opener are all levers. Find three more near you.

Step 5 · Check my learning

Check my learning

Where must the pivot go to make lifting easiest, and why?