The Compound Simple Machine project was our third project of the year. This project was focused on showing us how by combining simple machines it could help with your mechanical advantage. In this project we were allowed to pick 3 simple machines of our own choice and combine them in a way to lift a book at least 12 inches off of the ground. Our mechanical advantage had to be greater than 1 and you needed to include a power train system in your design. Our machine included a lever, a pulley system, and a wheel and axle. Our design was arguably one of the best due to the use of the lever as opposed to the incline plane which often caused a lot of friction.
I learned that friction was a huge problem in this project. Most of the groups used incline planes and had difficulties pulling he heavy book up without having an abundance of friction making it noticeably harder. It was also a good learning experience to help understand more about the use of simple machines. It showed how effective they could be if they were used correctly.