Simple Machines: Pulleys, Gears and a Motor

A small kit that introduces simple machines: a drive pulley and a driven pulley joined by an elastic band, gears, and an optional DC motor to power it.

Students see how pulleys make lifting easier, how gears trade speed for force, and how electricity drives a motor that drives the machine.

Design by WillowS on Printables, shared under CC0 1.0 (public domain). The files and photos are the designer's, unchanged.

1. Print the main components. You also need two 608 (skateboard) bearings, string, two elastic bands and optionally a small DC motor and cable ties.
2. Lift a small weight with the string by hand, then through the pulleys: which feels easier?
3. Add the motor and battery and discuss the energy chain: chemical → electrical → movement.