of all time!
by John at 2/18/2005 03:25:00 PM
Inspired by mobile PC magazine's ridiculous list of the top 100 gadgets of all time, which includes 2 Walkmans, 4 video games, 4 pdas, 6 cell phones or pagers, and, in a stunning display of myopia, 8 (eight!!!) mobile PCs, I've decided to come up with my own list of:
The top four simple machines of all time!
1) The lever
2) The wheel and axle
3) The inclined plane
4) The pulley
A lot of people would argue that the wheel and axle is more important than the lever, but I'm pretty confident I've got the order correct. Many would also say that the list should include the screw or the wedge, but I'd counter that a screw is really nothing but a twisty wedge, and a wedge is nothing but an inclined plane. Others might want to exclude the pulley, but I say that a pulley is not just a wheel and axle plus a rope, because the mechanical advantage is gained from a pulley using a somewhat different mechanism than the mechanical advantage of a wheel and axle.
However, you don't have to agree. If you think I've left any simple machine out or have made other mistakes, let me know and you just might win a valuable prize*!
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* prize of one (1) fantasy dream date with the celebrity of your choice to be awarded at the discretion of our editorial staff
The top four simple machines of all time!
1) The lever
2) The wheel and axle
3) The inclined plane
4) The pulley
A lot of people would argue that the wheel and axle is more important than the lever, but I'm pretty confident I've got the order correct. Many would also say that the list should include the screw or the wedge, but I'd counter that a screw is really nothing but a twisty wedge, and a wedge is nothing but an inclined plane. Others might want to exclude the pulley, but I say that a pulley is not just a wheel and axle plus a rope, because the mechanical advantage is gained from a pulley using a somewhat different mechanism than the mechanical advantage of a wheel and axle.
However, you don't have to agree. If you think I've left any simple machine out or have made other mistakes, let me know and you just might win a valuable prize*!
-----
* prize of one (1) fantasy dream date with the celebrity of your choice to be awarded at the discretion of our editorial staff
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