Levers
The three classes in drawings and everyday objects, and the law of the lever with any unknown.
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Teaching Guide: Simple Machines and Mechanisms
Simple machines and drive systems are a core topic of design and technology and physics in Grades 6 to 9: levers and pulleys first, then gears, belts and gear trains. This free generator makes lever, gear and pulley worksheets with schematics drawn from the data and a computed answer key.
- For
- Elementary 6th · Middle & High 7th, 8th, 9th (ages 11-14)
- Subject
- Technology › Mechanisms
- Includes
- Student sheet and answer key
- Format
- A4, to print or save as PDF; new exercises every time
- Price
- Free, no sign-up
- Available in
- Catalan, Spanish, English
Student worksheet 
Answer key Gears
Two gears, the idler gear that changes the direction and compound gear trains with their speed ratio.
Pulleys and belts
Open and crossed belts and pulley trains with a double pulley.
The bicycle
Chainring and sprocket: turns of the wheel, speed in rpm, gears and distance travelled.
Lifting loads
Fixed and movable pulleys, a block and tackle by counting the sections of rope, and the inclined plane.
Answer key
Every result with its formula, the values and the direction of every wheel.
Frequently asked questions about the mechanisms worksheets
Which grades are they for?
Classes of lever, the bicycle and fixed and movable pulleys for Grades 6-7; the law of the lever, gears and belts for Grade 8; compound trains and the inclined plane for Grade 9.
How do I tell the class of a lever?
By what is in the middle: the fulcrum makes a first-class lever (seesaw, scissors), the load a second-class lever (wheelbarrow, nutcracker) and the effort a third-class lever (tweezers, fishing rod).
How do I work out the speed of a gear?
With n₁ · z₁ = n₂ · z₂: speed times teeth is the same for the driver and the driven gear. For belts it is the same with the diameters: n₁ · D₁ = n₂ · D₂. Every pair of gears and every crossed belt reverses the direction.
Which ratio do the worksheets use?
The speed ratio n₂ : n₁ = z₁ : z₂ (or D₁ : D₂): below 1 the system reduces speed, above 1 it increases it. Some books write the gear ratio the other way up (driven teeth to driver teeth); the answer key always shows the fraction it uses.
Which other worksheets go well with these?
Electrical circuits, technical drawing views and physics problems for forces. You will find every resource in technology worksheets.
How do I print only the answer key?
Click Print and choose “Answer key”, or “Worksheet and answer key” for both. You can also save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.
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