Home▸Physics & Mechanics▸Simple Machines Mechanical Advantage Lab

⚙️ Simple Machines: Trading Force for Distance

Interactive 3D lever, pulley and inclined-plane rig where adjusting fulcrum position or pulley count shows applied force and distance trading off while total work stays constant.

Physics & Mechanics3DModerate60 FPS

Switch between a lever, a block-and-tackle pulley system and an inclined plane to see how each trades applied force for distance while the total work stays the same.

🔬 What It Demonstrates

Mechanical advantage lets a smaller force move a load, but only by making the effort travel farther — force and distance trade off so that work in equals work out.

🎮 How to Use

Pick Lever, Pulley or Ramp, drag the sliders to change the fulcrum position, pulley count or ramp angle, then press ▶ Apply force to watch the machine move the load.

💡 Did You Know?

A block-and-tackle with five supporting rope strands cuts the needed pulling force fivefold — but you must pull five metres of rope for every metre the load rises.

⚙ Under the hood

Interactive 3D workshop where swapping levers, pulleys, inclined planes and gears shows how each simple machine trades applied force for distance moved.

simple-machinesmechanical-advantageleverspulleysinclined-planesclassical-mechanicsphysics

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install