Final answer:
The statement is true; the efficiency of a simple machine is always less than 100 percent due to energy lost as heat from friction.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the efficiency of a simple machine is always less than 100 percent because some small fraction of the input work is always converted to heat energy due to friction is true. No machine can be 100% efficient due to the laws of thermodynamics, which state that some energy is always lost as waste heat due to friction and other inefficiencies. In the context of simple machines such as levers, pulleys, and inclined planes, some of the work done is indeed dissipated as heat, reducing the overall efficiency.