How would you define a simple machine? What is an example?
Your interviewer will likely ask you knowledge-based questions to understand how well you are able to explain concepts to others. Be prepared for questions like this one by practicing a few possibilities ahead of time. In this case, a machine is any device that changes the direction or magnitude of a force applied, and a simple machine is the simplest possible design required to create that change. There are six classical examples of simple machines: lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, and screw.
"I would define a simple machine as the most basic mechanism required to create a change in direction or magnitude of a force applied. An example of this would be a pulley. A pulley changes the direction of a force applied by directing it along the circumference of a wheel and axle."
