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In this series of films, host Bob Symes explains basic physical science concepts in a way that is accessible to students up to eighth grade level. For younger students, the brevity of the films (four to ten minutes each) will not tax their attention spans. In The Way Things Work: How a Screw Works, Symes compares a screw to a nail, and points out how much more difficult it would be to take out a screw than a nail. He shows how a screw is based on the wedge, and works in much the same way, although it is in the form of a cylinder.