Drag the slider to see how each simple machine multiplies force. The 6 simple machines are the building blocks of all technology!
Mechanical advantage is how much a machine multiplies your force. A lever with MA = 3 means you only need to push with 1/3 of the force to lift a load — but you have to push 3× further! Simple machines don't reduce the total work, they just make it easier by trading force for distance.