A compound machine is a machine that consists of two or more simple machines. Some compound machines are very basic and only consist of two simple machines. For example, a wheelbarrow consists of levers and a wheel & axle. Other compound machines, such as buses, consist of hundreds or sometimes thousands of simple machines. Some other examples of compound machines are scissors, cranes, and a roller coaster. Another example of a compound machine would be a wheelbarrow! The wheel in the front that is connected to an axle would be considered a wheel & axle. A wheelbarrow is a class two lever. The effort is applied to the handles, the load is in the bucket, and the fulcrum would be the wheel. |
Scissors are a great example of a compound machine! The two finger holes would be classified as levers. The fulcrum would be the screw in the middle holding it together. The two blades would be considered as wedges. |