There are six types of simple machines: lever, wheel and axle, inclined plane, wedge, screw, and pulley. The mechanical advantage of each machine is determined by various factors like the position of the fulcrum on a lever, the ratio of wheel to axle radii, the length and height of an inclined plane, and the number of turns in a screw or ropes in a pulley system. A compound machine combines two or more simple machines to create more complex machines.