Machines for play time

Do you own any sports machines? You might be surprised by this question, because when you hear the word machine, you think of a factory and more complicated things. But, machines are used in sports and games too. In this article, we feature the machines we use in sports.

A golfer uses a lever to hit the ball. The fulcrum of this lever is at one end and when the player exerts force near the fulcrum, work is done on the ball at the other end. Now, can you imagine how the lever is used by a cricket player?

A wedge can be found in places that you will never expect one to be. Can you

 think of such a place? What about the figure-skate blade? This skate blade has two wedges; one wedge digs into the ice and makes a narrow track for the skater to travel on.

Unfortunately, we don't have the opportunity to see figure-skating live, but you are sure to have seen this graceful sport on television.

You can find a wheel and axle in many places. Bicycle wheels and pedals form better examples of a wheel and axle. When you are riding a bicycle, you turn the pedals in a circle and form the shape of a wheel.

The pedals' axle turns the gear that moves the chain. The chain then turns another gear that makes the rear wheel turn. Most equipment that we use in sports are actually simple machines. But, never walk into a sports goods shop and ask for a cricket or golf sports machine from the shopkeeper... They'll think that you are crazy.

Compiled by Janani Amarasekara