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Levers, Pulleys & Gears

CONCEPTUAL
Science›Forces & Motion|Ages 9—10|ID: mt_Q2k3fSwyzQ

Recognise that some mechanisms including levers, pulleys, and gears allow a smaller force to have a greater effect

Mastery Evidence

  • Describe how a lever works: effort at one end moves a load at the other, with a pivot in between
  • Explain how a pulley changes the direction of a force and can make lifting easier
  • Describe how gears transfer and change the size or direction of forces

Assessment Prompt

“Can [child] explain how a see-saw, a pulley on a flagpole, or the gears on a bicycle make it easier to move heavy things with less effort?”

Curriculum Standards1 alignment

Y5.Sci.F.3The national curriculum in England
Mechanisms and force effects

recognise that some mechanisms including levers, pulleys and gears allow a smaller force to have a greater effect

Science · Key Stage 2

Prerequisites3

Show full prerequisite tree
  • Balanced & Unbalanced Forces hard

    Must understand forces and their effects before learning how mechanisms multiply forces

    • Pushes & Pulls hard

      Must understand pushes/pulls before investigating balanced vs unbalanced forces

      • Drawing Force Diagrams soft

        Understanding pushes and pulls as forces is supported by the arrow representation of magnitude and direction

    • Drawing Force Diagrams hard

      Investigating balanced and unbalanced forces requires drawing force diagrams to record and analyse experimental findings

    • Friction & Surfaces hard

      Must understand friction affects motion before investigating balanced/unbalanced forces

      • Pushes & Pulls hard

        Must understand forces change motion before comparing movement on different surfaces

        • Drawing Force Diagrams soft

          Understanding pushes and pulls as forces is supported by the arrow representation of magnitude and direction

      • Forces Vocabulary hard

        Comparing how things move on different surfaces requires friction vocabulary

  • Gravity & Falling Objects soft

    Gravity context helps understand why we need mechanisms to lift heavy things

    • Balanced & Unbalanced Forces soft

      Balanced/unbalanced forces supports understanding gravity as an unbalanced force on unsupported objects

      • Pushes & Pulls hard

        Must understand pushes/pulls before investigating balanced vs unbalanced forces

        • Drawing Force Diagrams soft

          Understanding pushes and pulls as forces is supported by the arrow representation of magnitude and direction

      • Drawing Force Diagrams hard

        Investigating balanced and unbalanced forces requires drawing force diagrams to record and analyse experimental findings

      • Friction & Surfaces hard

        Must understand friction affects motion before investigating balanced/unbalanced forces

        • Pushes & Pulls hard

          Must understand forces change motion before comparing movement on different surfaces

          • Drawing Force Diagrams soft

            Understanding pushes and pulls as forces is supported by the arrow representation of magnitude and direction

        • Forces Vocabulary hard

          Comparing how things move on different surfaces requires friction vocabulary

    • Forces Vocabulary hard

      Explaining gravity requires the force vocabulary: gravity, weight, non-contact force

    • Drawing Force Diagrams hard

      Explaining gravity as a downward force requires representing it as a downward arrow in a force diagram

    • Contact & Non-Contact Forces hard

      Must know about non-contact forces before learning gravity as a non-contact force

      • Forces Vocabulary hard

        Distinguishing contact from non-contact forces requires these exact terms

      • Drawing Force Diagrams soft

        Distinguishing contact and non-contact forces is clarified by drawing force diagrams showing where arrows originate

      • Friction & Surfaces hard

        Must experience contact forces like friction before distinguishing contact vs non-contact forces

        • Pushes & Pulls hard

          Must understand forces change motion before comparing movement on different surfaces

          • Drawing Force Diagrams soft

            Understanding pushes and pulls as forces is supported by the arrow representation of magnitude and direction

        • Forces Vocabulary hard

          Comparing how things move on different surfaces requires friction vocabulary

  • Force & Motion Vocabulary soft

    Understanding levers, pulleys, and gears requires moment, lever, and fulcrum vocabulary

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