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- Wheels and Levers Glossary -
Axle: A shaft or rod on which a wheel turns (fixed or free).
Balance: A condition in which opposing forces exactly balance or equal each other; state of equilibrium.
Block and Tackle: A unit made up of several pulleys linked together by ropes.
Cog: Another term for gear wheel.
Conservation of energy: Energy can neither be created or destroyed. The energy output of a machine is equal to the energy input.
Driver: Wheel or gear that transfers force to other wheels or gears.
Driven gear or wheel: The wheel or gear that is moved by the force of a driver wheel or gear.
Effort: The force (push or pull) that produces an action.
Energy: Ability to do work.
Force: A push or pull that makes an object move. Force equals mass times distance.
Friction: A force that resists motion between two objects that touch - there is less friction between smooth surfaces than between rough surfaces.
Fulcrum: The supporting point of a lever; also called a pivot.
Gear: Toothed wheel that transmits motion from one shaft to another.
Gears: (beveled) Alter direction of motion by 90° (e.g. a hand mixer).
Gears: (rack and pinion) Change circular motion to linear (straight) motion (e.g. a steering column).
Gears: (worm) Changes direction of motion by 90° and alters speed (e.g. an electric mixer).
Idler: A gear that transmits force and motion from one gear to another.
Lever: A bar that can rest on a pivot or support point called a fulcrum. Force or effort is applied to one place to move a load at another place.
Mass and weight: Mass is the amount of matter that is contained in a body measured in kilograms. Weight: is the attraction of the force of gravity on that body measured in Newtons. On the Earth, a person whose mass is 50 kg has a weight of approximately 500 N.
Mesh: To smoothly interlock the teeth of two or more gear wheels.
Motion: Change in the position of an object (speed = rate of motion).
Newton: Newton (N) is the force required to give a one kg mass an acceleration of one meter per second.
Perpetual Motion: Endless motion without friction.
Power: The rate at which work is done. Power is the product of the time the force acts, the force required and the distance a load is moved.
Pulley: A wheel with a groove in the rim in which a rope or belt moves.
Resistance: The force that must be overcome to produce work in a machine - also called load
Shaft: Another term for axle.
Work: The result of a force moving an object.
Gears: Added December 1st!
This video demonstrates the use of various gears.
This video demonstrates the use of gears in mechanical clocks.
This activity uses a system of ramps, switches, and gears. The object is to remove as many blocks from the system as possible without breaking it.
This site gives the history of gears and experiments for students using thread spools.
This activity challenges students to design a machine that will catch 50 pieces of grain using 5-6 chains running in a variety of directions.
An interactive game using a machine. Students will need to make a few changes to get the machine to work properly.
Use this interactive activity for an introduction to simple machines. Gears are part of the activity.
This applet allows students to vary the gear ratio of a bike. Students try to capture all five flags on a course.
Tim and Moby learn about different kinds of gears and how they work. Note: This site requires a subscription. A free trial is available.
This site provides information about how different types of gears work and what machines use certain types of gears. Illustrations are included. NOTE: This site includes ads.
This site provides information about gear and clock basics. Interactive activities and vocabulary list are included.
This page has experiments for students to learn more about the mechanism and function of gears and other machines.
Put the missing machine parts into correct positions. Level of difficulty can be chosen. Note: This site has a link leads to message board.
eThemes Resource: Simple Machines: Beginner
These resources explore the basics of simple machines. Topics include pulleys, wheel and axle, inclined planes, wedges, screws, and levers. There is a link to an eThemes Resource on advanced simple machines.
eThemes Resource: Simple Machines: Advanced
These sites include interactive models of machines such as levers and pulley systems. Explains basic concepts of physics such as mechanics, force, and motion. Includes sites on the mechanics of sports and Leonardo da Vinci's inventions.
Help Twitch collect the parts to repair a robot by using 4 different types of simple machines: an inclined plane, lever, wheel and axle, and pulley. Select the equipment that will require the least amount of force.
Click on the house to identify all the simple machines that we use in our everyday lives.
Learn how forces and simple machines can work together to create a compound machine.
"Join Engineering Savi as she explores Puzzle Park for gears, levels and wheels for carnival rides" (site). Put the Fun House, Merry-Go-Round, and Roller Coaster puzzles together to find out what simple machines are in your favorite rides.
How well do you know your simple machines? Click on a number to solve for that section.
This is an animation of a Rube Goldberg contraption that incorporates energy transfers and conversions into a chain reaction. You must answer questions to proceed. Once the cat is fed, you can rerun the animation to test your understanding of how energy can travel and change.
This template generator is intended for creating paper templates for cutting low gears from plywood or other materials with a band saw. You can create your gears and then click Print Gears to get the template.
Travel back in time in the V 3000 Time Machine to see some of the most important Canadian Inventions of the past 150 years.
Test your knowledge about levers. Try your hand at balancing. You can move the birds, and add bird seed to the feeder. Make sure you also find the baby birds.
This Wonderville interactive helps you learn all about the medieval lever. How did people use levers during medieval battles?
Click on one of the eight red buttons to view one of Leonardo Da Vinci's Mysterious Machines. Click on the one option that you think describes the Mysterious Machine best!
Terrific flash animation from the BBC clearly demonstrates the forces of energy and mechanics to achieve work. Excellent resource.
This great animation from the BBC clearly demonstrates the physics of gears and pulleys in action to achieving work. Mouse overs identify key components and an interactive quiz feature supports skill development and retention.
Simple Machines Games & Videos
Simple Machines Games & Videos
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