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Bill Nye: Simple Machines - Printable Science Worksheets year 3 - Wayground

Bill Nye: Simple Machines

Jose Flores

By Jose Flores

1 questions

3rd - 3rd Grade

Science

12 plays

Updated Mar 2026

Bill Nye: Simple Machines is a Grade 3 science worksheet that helps students identify common simple machines and explain how they make work easier. Through 15 multiple-choice questions and one comprehension item, students review the functions and features of pulleys, levers, ramps, screws, and gears. They identify a lever’s fulcrum and two ends, recognize a catapult and hammer as levers, compare a screw to a ramp wrapped around a stick, and connect stairs with ramps. The questions also apply simple-machine ideas to familiar examples, including bicycle gears, pulley systems, staircases, and prostheses. Students explain how pulleys spread work, how ramps trade distance for easier lifting, and how gears change speed and effort for different terrains. This free printable worksheet with an answer key is designed for Grade 3 science instruction, review, or formative assessment after students have been introduced to simple machines.

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Bill Nye: Simple Machines

Total questions: 1

Name
Class
Date
1-15.
1.

What simple machine helps us change the size and direction of forces?

a)

Battery

b)

Lamp

c)

Computer

d)

Pulley

2.

What does a lever allow us to do?

a)

Paint pictures

b)

Cook food

c)

Change the size and direction of forces

d)

Play music

3.

What is the pivot or fulcrum of a lever?

a)

The middle part that allows one end to go down and the other to go up

b)

The end that goes up

c)

The end that goes down

d)

The part that holds the lever in the air

4.

What kind of simple machine is a catapult?

a)

Pulley

b)

Wheel

c)

Ramp

d)

Lever

5.

What are the three parts of a lever?

a)

Two batteries and a light

b)

Two wheels and an axle

c)

Two ropes and a pulley

d)

Two ends and a fulcrum

6.

What simple machine is used to lift things easier?

a)

Refrigerator

b)

Television

c)

Pulley

d)

Computer

7.

What do gears do in a bicycle?

a)

Make it go slower

b)

Allow the rider to put out less effort for a longer distance

c)

Play music

d)

Make it look nice

8.

What is a ramp used for?

a)

Making music

b)

Lifting things easier by walking a longer distance

c)

Storing food

d)

Heating up food

9.

What is a screw compared to?

a)

A wheel

b)

A pulley

c)

A lever

d)

A ramp wrapped around a stick

10.

What does a prosthesis do?

a)

Lights up a room

b)

Acts as an arm or leg for someone who needs it

c)

Plays music

d)

Cooks food

11.

What simple machine is a staircase compared to?

a)

Lever

b)

Wheel

c)

Ramp

d)

Pulley

12.

What does a pulley system do?

a)

Makes things harder to lift

b)

Plays music

c)

Makes things easier to lift by spreading the work

d)

Cooks food

13.

What is the purpose of gears on a bicycle?

a)

Decoration

b)

To play music

c)

To make it heavier

d)

To change the speed and effort needed for different terrains

14.

What simple machine is a hammer compared to?

a)

Ramp

b)

Wheel

c)

Lever

d)

Pulley

15.

What is the function of a screw?

a)

To hold pieces of paper together

b)

To play music

c)

To make things look nice

d)

To lift or hold materials together

WaygroundAnswer Key

Bill Nye: Simple Machines

Total questions: 1

1-15.
1.
d)

Pulley

2.
c)

Change the size and direction of forces

3.
a)

The middle part that allows one end to go down and the other to go up

4.
d)

Lever

5.
d)

Two ends and a fulcrum

6.
c)

Pulley

7.
b)

Allow the rider to put out less effort for a longer distance

8.
b)

Lifting things easier by walking a longer distance

9.
d)

A ramp wrapped around a stick

10.
b)

Acts as an arm or leg for someone who needs it

11.
c)

Ramp

12.
c)

Makes things easier to lift by spreading the work

13.
d)

To change the speed and effort needed for different terrains

14.
c)

Lever

15.
d)

To lift or hold materials together

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FAQs

What does this simple machines worksheet cover?

This Grade 3 worksheet uses 15 multiple-choice questions and one comprehension item to assess how students identify pulleys, levers, ramps, screws, and gears in familiar examples. Students also explain specific ideas such as a lever’s fulcrum, a screw as a ramp wrapped around a stick, and how pulley systems and bicycle gears reduce or redistribute effort.

How can I use this worksheet to teach simple machines?

Introduce each machine with a classroom example, such as a hammer for a lever, stairs for a ramp, or a bicycle for gears, then have students explain what the machine changes about force, effort, or movement. Use the multiple-choice items for guided discussion before independent work, asking students to justify why the correct choice fits the object or function described.

What mistakes should I watch for when students complete this worksheet?

Students may confuse a lever’s fulcrum with one of its ends, or identify a catapult and hammer by their everyday purpose instead of their lever structure. They may also mix up how ramps and pulleys make lifting easier, or overlook that bicycle gears change both the effort required and the speed suited to different terrain.

How do I assign and grade this simple machines worksheet?

You can assign this worksheet as a printable PDF or as a digital quiz on Wayground, and it includes a complete answer key for checking the 16 items. For printable submissions, scan students’ completed work with the Wayground for Teachers app to help grade responses efficiently.

How can I differentiate this simple machines worksheet for my students?

In the worksheet’s Advanced Settings, adjust font spacing or font size to make the multiple-choice questions and answer options easier to navigate. You can also apply a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language to support access to the simple-machines vocabulary and comprehension item.

Where can I find more worksheets like this on Wayground?

Wayground offers a comprehensive collection of free printable worksheets and practice problems across subjects, with downloadable PDFs and answer keys to support mastery of essential skills and concepts. Browse more resources at https://wayground.com/en-us/worksheets.

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