Simple machines have few or no moving parts. Simple machines are important in our lives because they help us make our work easier. One simple machine is a lever and an inclined plane. Its purpose is to lift heavy objects. What's being lifted is called the load. The lever is often a long board. The fulcrum is something like a block. The fulcrum raises the board above the ground. The force is the push or pull that moves the lever. Pushing on one end of the board raises the load.