What's the NEXT most important simple machine AFTER the wheel & axle?

[DrPepper12]

The wheel and axle is widely considered the most important simple machine because it revolutionized transportation and facilitated the development of trade and agriculture. It significantly reduces friction, making it easier to move objects and enabling the development of various wheeled vehicles and devices.

Lever

Inclined plane

Pulley

Screw

Wedge

Updates

8 mo

50% lever, 25% pulley. I vote pulley!

[Tarifa]

The pulley and multiple pulleys. Anyone who has ever used one of these will be amazed at how much they multiply the strength of a single human being.

Think of all the cathedrals and castles that may not have existed if not for pulleys. Think of how much it helped trades like millers in moving heavy loads like sacks of grain.

[DrPepper12]

I'm inclined to agree. Pulleys are magical.

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

Lol doc, feels like classes lol. Admit it, you are repurposing questions for classes on this platform 😂

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

I mean that's devotion, for sure

[DrPepper12]

Ya got me!!

[Anonymous]

The bow probably based on the theory that the invention of the bow, atali-javelin and possibly sling gave homosapians over neadrathals who according to some theories were much faster, stronger, more aggressive, tougher, had a better sense of smell and may have been able to see in the dark which meant they could out hunt us and out fight us.

[DJB72]

Give me a place to stand and I will move the earth...

[DrPepper12]

I'm still team pulley over a lever. Pulleys are magical force multipliers.

[DJB72]

Pulleys are useful but I've been in more situations where a lever is the best tool, including getting a bus out of a ditch when I was about 12 on a school trip. 40 kids with long pipes and we lifted the side of the thing so they could get planks under its wheels. A pulley wouldn't have helped there. Of course I've lifted loads into a pickup using pulleys so it evens out

[DrPepper12]

True. I was thinking more nautical & engineering. Both essential.

[DJB72]

In nautical situation I completely agree. I was thinking landbound.

[NathanDavis]

a nice booty can move much more than all of these combined...

[NathanDavis]

I meant... the wedge, lmao

I think the wedge has had many more different applications based on the premise of the simple concept

[Dongie]

You were right the first time.

[Orion84]

I'd have to say the wedge, primarily because that's roughly the shape of a plow, and without plows, we never would have mastered agriculture.

[exitseven]

the screw. How else will the government screw us over.

[OneViewpoint]

The wagon or cart. It made the wheel and axle efficient at carrying and moving large heavy loads.

[Likes2drive]

Probably lever

[RandomUser1000]

Sometimes all you need is screw

[Anonymous]

I voted for lever, it seems very useful.

[Dongie]

Lever then pully

[DrPepper12]

Agreed on pulley. Wedge next

[Anonymous]

the penis pump