True or False: A machine decreases the amount of work done.

The statement that a machine decreases the amount of work done is false because a machine does not change the total amount of work required for a task. Instead, machines can change how that work is done. They can amplify force, change the direction of force, or allow work to be done more efficiently, but the overall work—defined as force applied over a distance—remains constant as per the work-energy principle.

For example, a lever allows you to lift a heavy object more easily, but the lever does not reduce the amount of work needed to lift the object. It only enables you to apply a smaller force over a greater distance. Similarly, pulleys and inclined planes adjust the force and distance you need to exert, but they do not decrease the total work done. Understanding this concept is fundamental in recognizing that while machines make tasks easier, they do not decrease the total energy used to perform those tasks.