conclusion of wheel and axle experiment

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Wheel and Axle

What is wheel and axle.

A wheel and axle is a simple machine consisting of a round disc and a long rod. The disc is known as the wheel, and the rod attached to the wheel is the axle. It executes a rotational motion and is used for many purposes.

Who Invented the Wheel and Axle

Archeological evidence shows that the first wheel and axle existed in Mesopotamia during the Bronze Age around 3500 B.C.

How Does Wheel and Axle Work

Wheel and axle operates through rotational motion by utilizing the principle of torque and angular momentum . The torque, also known as moment of force, is the product of the force and distance from the central axis. The input force is applied either on the wheel or axle and transmitted from one part to the other. The two parts rotate at the same rate. Due to a difference in their circumferences, the distance they rotate in the same amount of time is different. The image below shows a wheel and axle when the force is applied to the wheel.

Mechanical Advantage of Wheel and Axle

Wheel and axle provides leverage that is measured by the mechanical advantage. The mechanical advantage indicates how much the machine performs against the applied force . Generally, the force applied at the axle’s edge is greater than at the wheel’s edge. For wheel and axle, the ideal mechanical advantage (IMA) is given by,

R: Radius of the wheel

r: Radius of the axle

For the equation, it is clear that more mechanical advantage can be gained when the wheel is large. Therefore, by varying the radii of the wheel and the axle, any amount of mechanical advantage can be achieved.

The radius of the wheel can be thought of as the effort arm of a lever . The longer the effort arm, the higher is the mechanical advantage.

Types and Examples of Wheel and Axle

There are two basic kinds of wheel and axle discussed below with examples in real and everyday life.

1. Force Applied on the Axle

In this type, the force is applied to the axle and transmitted to the wheel, rotating rapidly.

Examples : Bicycle, car tires, Ferris wheel, electric fan, analog clock, and winch

2. Force Applied to the Wheel

In this type, the force is applied to the wheel, causing it to rotate. The wheel applies a greater force on the axle, which then rotates over a shorter distance than the wheel.

Examples : Screwdriver, drill, windmill, water wheel, doorknob, pizza cutter, and skateboard

Applications of Wheel and Axle

The wheel and axle has many practical applications in daily life.

• Motor vehicles run on them
• Windmill mills grains using them
• Water turbine uses them to generate electricity
• Clay potters use them to make clay
• Construction crane uses them to lift objects
• Screwdriver uses them to drive a screw into a surface
• Doorknob operates on them to open a door
• A bicycle uses them to move forward
• Ferris wheel uses them as a means of entertainment
• An electric fan runs on them
• Wheels with teeth, known as gears, are used in many machines in a factory

Ans. A pulley consists of a wheel over which a rope loops. It rotates as the rope is pulled. The wheel and axle system rotates when a force is applied to the wheel or axle. This force is then transmitted from one part to another.

Ans. The wheel and axle is similar to a lever. The input force is applied tangentially to the wheel, and the output force is applied on the axle. A hinge between the two can be considered as the fulcrum.

• Wheel and Axle – Energyeducation.ca
• Wheel and Axle Example – Softschools.com
• What is a Wheel and Axle? – Eschooltoday.com
• Who Invented the Wheel and Axle? – Wonderopolis.org
• Wheel and Axle Function – Sciencing.com
• Wheels – Explainthatstuff.com
• What Are the Differences Between a Pulley, a Wheel & an Axle? – Itstillruns.com

Article was last reviewed on Tuesday, January 18, 2022

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Simple Machines

Introduction: (initial observation).

Can you open a screw without screw driver? Or cut a string without scissors? It might be possible but it is very hard. That is why we use different machines in our daily life. A machine is a tool used to make work easier. Simple machines are simple tools used to make work easier. Compound machines have two or more simple machines working together to make work easier.

In this project you will design and perform experiments to demonstrate how do different machines make work easier.

This project guide contains information that you need in order to start your project. If you have any questions or need more support about this project, click on the “Ask Question” button on the top of this page to send me a message.

If you are new in doing science project, click on “How to Start” in the main page. There you will find helpful links that describe different types of science projects, scientific method, variables, hypothesis, graph, abstract and all other general basics that you need to know.

Project advisor

Information Gathering:

Find out about simple machines. Read books, magazines or ask professionals who might know in order to learn about the usage of each simple machine in our daily life or in other compound machines. Keep track of where you got your information from.

In science, work is defined as a force acting on an object to move it across a distance. Pushing, pulling, and lifting are common forms of work. Furniture movers do work when they move boxes. Gardeners do work when they pull weeds. Children do work when they go up and down on a see-saw. Machines make their work easier. The furniture movers use a ramp to slide boxes into a truck. The gardeners use a hand shovel to help break through the weeds. The children use a see-saw to go up and down. The ramp, the shovel, and the see-saw are simple machines.

Inclined Plane A plane is a flat surface. For example, a smooth board is a plane. Now, if the plane is lying flat on the ground, it isn’t likely to help you do work. However, when that plane is inclined, or slanted, it can help you move objects across distances. And, that’s work! A common inclined plane is a ramp. Lifting a heavy box onto a loading dock is much easier if you slide the box up a ramp–a simple machine. Want to know more? Here’s extra information.

Wedge Instead of using the smooth side of the inclined plane, you can also use the pointed edges to do other kinds of work. For example, you can use the edge to push things apart. Then, the inclined plane is a wedge. So, a wedge is actually a kind of inclined plane. An axeblade is a wedge. Think of the edge of the blade. It’s the edge of a smooth slanted surface. That’s a wedge! Want to know more? Here’s extra information.

Screw Now, take an inclined plane and wrap it around a cylinder. Its sharp edge becomes another simple tool: the screw. Put a metal screw beside a ramp and it’s kind of hard to see the similarities, but the screw is actually just another kind of inclined plane. Try this demonstration to help you visualize. How does the screw help you do work? Every turn of a metal screw helps you move a piece of metal through a wooden space. And, that’s how we build things! Want to know more? Here’s extra information

Lever Try pulling a really stubborn weed out of the ground. You know, a deep, persistent weed that seems to have taken over your flowerbed. Using just your bare hands, it might be difficult or even painful. With a tool, like a hand shovel, however, you should win the battle. Any tool that pries something loose is a lever. A lever is an arm that “pivots” (or turns) against a “fulcrum” (or point). Think of the claw end of a hammer that you use to pry nails loose. It’s a lever. It’s a curved arm that rests against a point on a surface. As you rotate the curved arm, it pries the nail loose from the surface. And that’s hard work!

Wheel and Axle The rotation of the lever against a point pries objects loose. That rotation motion can also do other kinds of work. Another kind of lever, the wheel and axle, moves objects across distances. The wheel, the round end, turns the axle, the cylindrical post, causing movement. On a wagon, for example, the bucket rests on top of the axle. As the wheel rotates the axle, the wagon moves. Now, place your pet dog in the bucket, and you can easily move him around the yard. On a truck, for example, the cargo hold rests on top of several axles. As the wheels rotate the axles, the truck moves. You can move your dog across the country! Want to know more? Here’s extra information.

Pulley Instead of an axle, the wheel could also rotate a rope or cord. This variation of the wheel and axle is the pulley. In a pulley, a cord wraps around a wheel. As the wheel rotates, the cord moves in either direction. Now, attach a hook to the cord, and you can use the wheel’s rotation to raise and lower objects. On a flagpole, for example, a rope is attached to a pulley. On the rope, there are usually two hooks. The cord rotates around the pulley and lowers the hooks where you can attach the flag. Then, rotate the cord and the flag raises high on the pole.

If two or more simple machines work together as one, they form a compound machine. Most of the machines we use today are compound machines, created by combining several simple machines. Can you think of creative ways to combine simple machines to make work easier? Think about it.

When we use a machine to simplify the work or to use less force to do a work, we have some mechanical advantage. The mechanical advantage of a system is defined as the ratio of the force that performs the useful work to the force applied, assuming there is no friction in the system.

Need more details?

Or different way of explaining the above material, continue to read about simple machines..

Simple machines are types of machines that do work with one movement. There are 6 simple machines; the inclined plane, the wedge, the screw, the lever, the pulley, and the wheel and axle.

INCLINED PLANE : An inclined plane is a simple machine with no moving parts. It is simply a straight slanted surface. ( Ex. a ramp.)

An inclined plane is a slanted surface used to raise an object. A ramp is an inclined plane. When an object is moved up an inclined plane, less effort is needed than if you were to lift it straight up, but, you must move the object over a greater distance. To elevate a roller coaster, it is much easier to pull it up a ramp than it is to lift it straight up. http://home.a-city.de/walter.fendt/phe/inclplane.ht m

WEDGE: A wedge is a modification of an inclined plane that moves . It is made of two inclined planes put together. Instead of the resistance being moved up an inclined plane, the inclined plane moves the resistance.

A wedge is an inclined plane which moves. Most wedges (but not all) are combinations of two inclined planes. A knife, axe, razor blade, and teeth are all good examples of wedges. Generally it can be anything that splits, cuts, or divides another object including air and water.

In the above examples identify what is being split or wedged apart by each wedge in the above pictures. a rocket…. a fan… a boat… teeth…

a doorstop… (not pictured)

What example did you come up with?

SCREW : A screw is a simple machine that is like an inclined plane. It is an inclined plane that wraps around a shaft.

LEVER: The lever is a simple machine made with a bar free to move about a fixed point called a fulcrum.

There are three types of levers.

A first class lever is like a teeter-totter or see-saw. One end will lift an object (child) up just as far as the other end is pushed down.

A second class lever is like a wheel barrow. The long handles of a wheel barrow are really the long arms of a lever.

A third class lever is like a fishing pole. When the pole is given a tug, one end stays still but the other end flips in the air catching the fish.

PULLEY: A pulley is a simple machine made with a rope, belt or chain wrapped around a grooved wheel. A pulley works two ways. It can change the direction of a force or it can change the amount of force. A fixed pulley changes the direction of the applied force. ( Ex. Raising the flag ) . A movable pulley is attached to the object you are moving.

A pulley is a chain, belt or rope wrapped around a wheel. The mechanical advantage of a pulley system is approximately equal to the amount of supporting ropes or strands.

Therefore, if you had a mass of 60kg and wanted to lift it using two supporting ropes, you would have mechanical advantage (MA) of 2. The mass will feel like one half of what it really is. When lifted with the help of the pulley system your 60kg would only feel like 30kg. Thus the effort force equals 30kg.

http://home.a-city.de/walter.fendt/phe/pulleysystem.htm

In the right photo count how many supporting stings there are. That will be the approximate mechanical advantage (MA). The effort distance and resistance difference change but not the amount of work. The amount of work does not change.

For practice figure the following mechanical advantage (MA) problems.

1. If a pulley setup has three supporting strands, what would be the MA of the setup?(3) 2. If the weight of an object being lifted is 100 kg and the number of supporting ropes the pulley system has is four; what would be the systems MA? (4) How much effort weight would you actually be lifting? (25 kg) 3. The weight of an object is 30 kg, the mechanical advantage is three, how much effort weight would you need to raise the object? (10 kg)

WHEEL AND AXLE : A wheel and axle is a modification of a pulley. A wheel is fixed to a shaft. The wheel and shaft must move together to be a simple machine. Sometimes the wheel has a crank or handle on it. Examples of wheel and axles include roller skates and doorknobs.

A wheel and axle is a lever that rotates in a circle around a center point or fulcrum. The larger wheel (or outside) rotates around the smaller wheel (axle). Bicycle wheels, ferries wheels and gears are all examples of a wheel and axle. Wheels can also have a solid shaft with the center core as the axle such as a screwdriver or drill bit or the log in a log rolling contest.

Why is a wheel a lever? Read on.

A wheel is a lever that can turn 360 degrees and can have an effort or resistance applied anywhere on that surface. The effort or resistance force can be applied either to the outer wheel or the inner wheel (axle).

Be sure to read the explanations below.

In the first example the resistance is in the mass of the wheel itself, the axle and whatever it might be connected to. The effort force is applied to the outer wheel. Steering wheels and door knob are good examples. Remember EFR?

The second example (on the right) the effort comes from the axle, the fulcrum is the core of the axle and resistance is on the road. (vehicle wheels are this way) Remember FER?

Now list five of your own examples of wheel and axles. You may use the term wheel only 3 times – be creative!

Question 2 – Identify the effort, resistance and fulcrum of two of your examples from above.

Question 3 – What type of lever is a steering wheel? A bicycle wheel?

Question/ Purpose:

What do you want to find out? Write a statement that describes what you want to do. Use your observations and questions to write the statement.

The purpose of this project is to make working models of some simple machines and demonstrate how they work. We will also attempt to measure the mechanical advantage of each simple machine.

If you want to study on a specific question related to simple machines, following is a sample question.

How does the slope affect the mechanical advantage in an inclined plane?

Identify Variables:

When you think you know what variables may be involved, think about ways to change one at a time. If you change more than one at a time, you will not know what variable is causing your observation. Sometimes variables are linked and work together to cause something. At first, try to choose variables that you think act independently of each other.

In each simple machine a different set of variables affect the mechanical advantage of that machine. For example in an inclined plane, the slope and friction affect the mechanical advantage. In a lever, the distance of forces (resistance and effort) from fulcrum affect the mechanical advantage.

In this project we will not focus on the effect of any specific variable or any specific type of simple machine. So we don’t need to identify variables. However if you choose to study on a specific variable, this is the way that you define variables:

For the question of “How does the slope affect the mechanical advantage in an inclined plane?”, the slope of an inclined plane is an independent variable. The mechanical advantage is a dependent variable.

Hypothesis:

Based on your gathered information, make an educated guess about what types of things affect the system you are working with. Identifying variables is necessary before you can make a hypothesis.

As a display project we will not need to come up with a hypothesis. However if you want to study on a specific variable such as the slope of an inclined plane, following is a sample hypothesis:

I hypothesize that lower slope in an inclined plane results a higher mechanical advantage (simpler work)

Experiment Design:

Design an experiment to test each hypothesis. Make a step-by-step list of what you will do to answer each question. This list is called an experimental procedure. For an experiment to give answers you can trust, it must have a “control.” A control is an additional experimental trial or run. It is a separate experiment, done exactly like the others. The only difference is that no experimental variables are changed. A control is a neutral “reference point” for comparison that allows you to see what changing a variable does by comparing it to not changing anything. Dependable controls are sometimes very hard to develop. They can be the hardest part of a project. Without a control you cannot be sure that changing the variable causes your observations. A series of experiments that includes a control is called a “controlled experiment.”

Following are some experiments that you can choose for your project.

Experiment 1: What happens to the amount of work needed to move a resistance

when the distance of the inclined plane increases (or the slope decreases)?

spring scale weight ruler or similar piece of wood (1ft) shoebox yardstick

1. Place the shoebox on a tabletop. 2. Place one end of the ruler on top of the shoebox and the other end of the ruler on the tabletop. 3. Put the weight on the lower end of the ruler. 4. Attach the spring scale to the weight. 5. Slowly move the weight up the inclined plane to rest on the top of the shoebox. 6. Read the spring scale as you move the weight. 7. Next replace the foot ruler with the yardstick. 8. Repeat steps 2 – 7.

Note: Instead of ruler and yard stick, you can use any long flat piece of wood. Also for changing the slope or angle, you can make any other arrangements that is possible for you.

Repeat the test with different angles. Note that if the surface is horizontal (angle is 0), all the force shown by the spring scale is caused by friction. Instead of a simple block of wood as weight, you can use a toy car to have less friction and better results.

Imagine the weight of a toy car is 80 grams, but when you pull it up on a 30 degree ramp, the spring scale shows only 40 grams. In this way the mechanical advantage of your inclined plane is 2. (Divide 80 by 40)

Experiment 2: What happens when the wedge is pushed between the stack of books?

four hard covered books a wedge a tabletop

1. Stack the books on the tabletop vertically. 2. Place the tip of the wedge between the second and third books. 3. Push the wedge between the books.

Note: For best results place the books next to the wall so they will not fall by the force. Instead of books you can also use wood blocks. The wedge also can be a wooden wedge.

Experiment 3: Which screw is the easiest to screw into a block of wood?

• one block of wood
• four screw the same length with various numbers of threads

1. Take the screw with the least number of grooves. 2. Screw it into the block of wood. 3. Take the screw with the second least number of grooves. 4. Screw the second screw into the block of wood. 5. Take the screw with second to the most grooves. 6. Screw it into the block of wood. 7. Take the screw with the most grooves. 8. Screw it into the block of wood.

1. Draw each type of lever for your display, label the fulcrum, effort, and object to be moved (or force).

2. Find other examples of levers and classify them as first, second, or third class.

Experiment 4: What happens when the distance is changed between the fulcrum and the effort force?

• 5 large washers taped together (as weights)
• 30 cm ruler (as a lever)
• pencil (as fulcrum)

1. Place washers on top of ruler at the 1 cm mark. 2. Place the pencil under the ruler at the 10 cm. 3. Push down on the 30 cm mark (effort force). 4. Move pencil to 15 cm mark and again push down at 30 cm mark (effort force). 5. Compare your effort force in steps 3 & 4. 6. Move pencil to 20 cm mark and again push down (effort force). 7.What class lever is this?

Note: You can use any other piece of wood as a lever. Also many objects can serve as a fulcrum. Bolts, washers and pennies are among the material that you can use as weight. You will modify the distance between the weights and the fulcrum. Place one bolt (or any other weight) on one end of the lever, the place 3 weights on the other side, in a position that creates a balance.

Find out the relation between the weight in each side and their distances to the fulcrum when a balance is achieved.

Can you design a lever that helps you to lift a 100 lbs object while using only 20 lbs force?

If you have washers or magnet rings or any other heavy rings, you can also use wood dowels for this experiment.

Picture shows a first class lever, because the fulcrum is between the load and effort. (Since you are using weights, you can count any one as load (resistance) and the other one as effort.

For the wood dowel to stand on the fulcrum, make a grove in the center of the wood dowel using a file.

You can also do a test with a second class lever (where load is between the fulcrum and effort. By using a spring scale you can measure the effort.

Move the load (weight) and see how does it affect the effort.

Question: Does moving the weight closer to the fulcrum increase or reduce the effort?

Experiment 5: What happens when you increase the number of pulleys ?

• three students
• two broom handles
• one ten foot long piece of twine or rope

1. Have one student tie the end of the twine onto one of the broom handles. 2. Have two of the students stand about two and one half feet apart so that the broom handles are held about two feet apart. 3. Wrap the twine around the broom handles twice. 4. Have the third student pull on the twine as the other two students try to hold the broom handles apart. 5. Now wrap the twine around the broom handles two more times and repeat step

Make a Simple Pulley

• wire coat hanger
• wooden spool
• board (fixed)
• weight (book)

1.Cut the bottom of the coat hanger and insert the spool into the open ends of the wire.

2.Adjust the wire so that the spool turns easily, and then bend the ends down to keep the wires from spreading.

3.Screw a cuphook into a fixed board.

4.Hang the coat hanger pulley on the cuphook.

5.Loop a string once around the spool.

6.Attach a weight, such as a book, to the end of the string.

7.Pull the string to lift the weight.

8.What would happen if you used two pulleys instead of only one?

Experiment 6:

How does the simple machine called the wheel and axle make work easier?

empty spool of thread string paper cup 20 pennies 2 pencils tape

Sample Hypothesis: Wheel and axle can trade force with distance. With little force we can pull down the cup A so that the heavy cup B moves up; however, cup B travels an upward distance that is less than the downward move of cup A.

1. Push pointed end of pencils into each end of the thread spools (make sure they are secure) 2. Suspend the pencils from the edge of a table with two loops of string–make sure they are level. Tape the string to the table. 3. Punch holes at the top of each paper cup. Attach a 60 cm string to each cup. Mark the cups A and B. 4. Tape the string attached to cup A to the pencil and wind all of the string onto the pencil by turning the pencil away from you. 5. Tape the string attached to cup B to the thread spool . Turn the pencils toward you to wind up all of the string onto the spool. 6. Place 10 pennies in cup A. 7. Cup B should be at its top position. Add pennies to cup B one at a time until it starts to move slowly. 8. Observe the distance both cups moved.

Materials and Equipment:

List of material can be extracted from the experiment section.

Results of Experiment (Observation):

Experiments are often done in series. A series of experiments can be done by changing one variable a different amount each time. A series of experiments is made up of separate experimental “runs.” During each run you make a measurement of how much the variable affected the system under study. For each run, a different amount of change in the variable is used. This produces a different amount of response in the system. You measure this response, or record data, in a table for this purpose. This is considered “raw data” since it has not been processed or interpreted yet. When raw data gets processed mathematically, for example, it becomes results.

Calculations:

You will need to calculate the mechanical advantage of each simple machine that you make. To do that divide the load (or the force that performs the useful work) by the effort (or the force applied) assuming there is no friction in the system.

Summary of Results:

Summarize what happened. This can be in the form of a table of processed numerical data, or graphs. It could also be a written statement of what occurred during experiments.

It is from calculations using recorded data that tables and graphs are made. Studying tables and graphs, we can see trends that tell us how different variables cause our observations. Based on these trends, we can draw conclusions about the system under study. These conclusions help us confirm or deny our original hypothesis. Often, mathematical equations can be made from graphs. These equations allow us to predict how a change will affect the system without the need to do additional experiments. Advanced levels of experimental science rely heavily on graphical and mathematical analysis of data. At this level, science becomes even more interesting and powerful.

Conclusion:

Using the trends in your experimental data and your experimental observations, try to answer your original questions. Is your hypothesis correct? Now is the time to pull together what happened, and assess the experiments you did.

Related Questions & Answers:

What you have learned may allow you to answer other questions. Many questions are related. Several new questions may have occurred to you while doing experiments. You may now be able to understand or verify things that you discovered when gathering information for the project. Questions lead to more questions, which lead to additional hypothesis that need to be tested.

Possible Errors:

If you did not observe anything different than what happened with your control, the variable you changed may not affect the system you are investigating. If you did not observe a consistent, reproducible trend in your series of experimental runs there may be experimental errors affecting your results. The first thing to check is how you are making your measurements. Is the measurement method questionable or unreliable? Maybe you are reading a scale incorrectly, or maybe the measuring instrument is working erratically.

If you determine that experimental errors are influencing your results, carefully rethink the design of your experiments. Review each step of the procedure to find sources of potential errors. If possible, have a scientist review the procedure with you. Sometimes the designer of an experiment can miss the obvious.

References:

List of References:

http://lyra.colorado.edu/sbo/mary/play/lever.html

http://home.a-city.de/walter.fendt/phe/lever.htm

http://home.a-city.de/walter.fendt/phe/phe.htm

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Science Project

Experiment: Determination of Moment of Inertia of a Fly Wheel

Experiment: Determination of moment of Inertia of a Fly Wheel

Theory: The flywheel consists of a weighty round disc/massive wheel fixed with a strong axle projecting on either side. The axle is mounted on ball bearings on two fixed supports. There is a little peg on the axle. One end of a cord is loosely looped around the peg and its other end carries the weight-hanger.

Suppose, the angular velocity of a wheel is ω and its radius r. Then lineal velocity of the wheel is, v = ωr. If the moment of inertia of a body is I and the wheel is rotating around an axle.

Then its rotational kinetic energy, E = ½ Iω 2 .

Apparatus: An iron axle, a heavy wheel, some ropes, a mass, stopwatch, meter scale, slide calipers.

Description of the apparatus:

The flywheel was set as shown with the axle of the flywheel straight or parallel. A polystyrene tile was placed on the floor to avoid the collision of the mass on the floor.

(1) First of all, let us measure the radius of the axle by a slide caliper.

(2) Then for the determination of a number of rotation a mark by chalk is put on the axle and a rope is wound on the axle. At the other end of the rope a mass m is fastened and if it is dropped from position R, the wheel after rotating a few times, the weight with the rope will fall to position S. The wheel makes m 1 number of rotation to touch the point S and time for this drop is noted from the stopwatch.

Now the rope is again wound on the axle and the mass is fastened on the other end of the rope. From position R the mass is allowed to fall to the ground and as soon as it touches the ground, the stopwatch is started. When the axle comes to rest the stop wealth is stopped. Total time and the number of rotation of the wheel before it comes to rest are noted i.e., a total number of rotation (n 2 ) as noted.

Table 1: radius (r) of the axle B

Table 2: Determination of time and number of rotation

Calculation : If the axis takes time t for n 2 number of rotation, the average angular velocity,

ω 2 = (2πn 2 )/t

The axle acquires zero velocity with uniform retardation from angular velocity ω, so its average angular velocity,

ω 2 = (ω + 0) / 2 = ω/2

or, (2πn 2 )/t = ω/2

or, ω = 4πn 2 rad S -1

Then, I = (2mgh – mω 2 r 2 ) / ω 2 (1+ n 1 / n 2 ) = ….. g.cm 2 = ….. Kg.m 2

By inserting the value of n 2 , ω can be found out. By increasing the values of m, ω, r, h, n 1 , n 2 and g in an equation; the moment of inertia of the heavy wheel can be found out.

Precautions:

In the axle, a rope is to be wounded in such a way that while unwinding from the wheel it can easily drop on the ground.

• There should be the least friction in the flywheel.
• A number of rotation n and time t is to be unwired correctly.
• The length of the string should be less than the height of axle from the floor.
• Height ‘h’ is to be measured from the mark on the axle.
• ‘h’ is to be measured correctly.
• There should be no kink in string and string should be thin and should be wound evenly.
• The stopwatch should be started just after detaching the loaded string.

Applications: The main function of a flywheel is to maintain a nearly constant angular velocity of the crankshaft.

• A small motor can accelerate the flywheel between the pulses.
• The phenomenon of precession has to be considered when using flywheels in moving vehicles.
• Flywheels are used in punching machines and riveting machines.

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• Wheel and Axle

Introduction

A machine which consists of a wheel attached to a small axle so that both of them (the wheel and axle) rotate together, and in this process force is transferred from one to another: this is defined as the wheel and axle machine. The axle is supported by a thing or a bearing which allows rotation. A small force which is applied from the wheel can amplify large loads attached to the axle. This is looked as the version of the lever. A drive force is applied tangentially to the perimeter of the wheel and a load force is applied to the axle. These two are balanced around a hinge which is known as the fulcrum. 

Wheel-axel machine is a simple machine which makes tasks easier in terms of force by applying the concept of mechanical advantages. wheel and axle is assembly formed by two disks, or cylinders, of different diameters mounted together so that they can rotate together around the common axis and the thin rod that needs to be turned is called the axle and the wider object fixed to the axle, on which we are apply force is called the wheel. A tangential force applied to the periphery of the large disk can exert a larger force on a load attached to the axle thus achieving the mechanical advantage. Also the wheel and axle does not dissipate or store energy, because it has no almost no friction as well as elasticity,thus power output at the axle equals to the input by the force applied to the wheel. 

Mechanical Advantage

Machines make our work easier to do. We use several machines in our daily life to make our work easier. Mechanical  advantage is basically when we put a small amount of energy and a huge amount of work is done by that small energy. Being specific,  it’s the ratio of force that the machine produces which is the output, to the force which is put into the machine by humans which is also known as the input. The wheel and axle comes under the category of six simple machines that are lever, pulley, inclined plane, wedge and screw. We try to use the simple machines because they give us the mechanical advantage. For example if we carry weights in our arms we will definitely feel burdened than carrying on a cart which moves on wheels. The axle and wheel are two circle-like structures that rotate together for the work to be done. The force is transferred from the axle to the wheel in most of the cases. It’s the ratio of radius of the wheel to the radius of the axle. Note- the radius is the half of the diameter and the diameter goes from the middle of the circle touching both the ends of the circle.it crosses through the origin or the midpoint of the circle. Although radii is used in the calculation of the wheel and axle but we can also do it with the help of the diameter of wheel and axle, it provides us with the same result.

Since the wheel and axle system rotates around its own bearings, thus the points on the circumference, or edge, of the wheel move faster than points on the circumference, or edge, of the axle. Therefore, a force applied to the edge of the wheel must be less than the force applied to the edge of the axle, since power is the product of force and velocity .Thus if a and b be the distances from the centre of the bearing to the edges of the wheel A and the axle B and If the F A (input force) is applied to the edge of the wheel A and the force F B  at the edge of the axle B is the output, then  a/b is the ratio of the velocities of points A and B is given by , so the ratio of the output force to the input force, or mechanical advantage is given by

FAQs on Wheel and Axle

Q1. What Form of Simple Machine is in the Wheel and Axle?

Ans: Wheel and axle is assembly formed by two disks, or cylinders, of different diameters mounted together so that they can rotate together around the same axis and the thin rod that needs to be turned is called the axle and the wider object fixed to the axle, on which we are apply force is called the wheel. 

Q2. Does the Axle also Move with the Wheel?

Ans: The center of the wheel and axle is the fulcrum of the rotating lever thus as the wheel and axle rotate, the wheel moves a greater distance than the axle, but it takes less effort to move it. Thus the axle also moves a shorter distance, but it turns with greater force. That is why many machines use the wheel and axle to increase force.

Q3. List Some Daily Life Examples of a Wheel and Axle.

Ans: Daily life examples of the wheel and axle include a door knob, a screwdriver, an egg beater, a water wheel, the steering wheel of an automobile, etc. It is also used as the crank used to raise a bucket of water from a well. 

Q4. Explain the Mechanical Advantage of Wheel and Axle by Discussing Force and Velocity.

Ans: Since power is the product of velocity and force .so if a and b be the distances from the centre of the bearing to the edges of the wheel A and the axle B and If the F A (input force) is applied to the edge of the wheel A and the force F B at the edge of the axle B is the output, then  a/b is the ratio of the velocities of points A and B is given by , so the ratio of the output force to the input force, or mechanical advantage is given by the formula:

MA = a/b = F A /F B  

FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!

Find more at TeachEngineering.org .

• TeachEngineering
• Wheeling It In!

Hands-on Activity Wheeling It In!

Grade Level: 4 (3-5)

Time Required: 45 minutes

Expendable Cost/Group: US $2.00

Group Size: 2

Activity Dependency: None

Associated Informal Learning Activity: Wheeling It In!

Subject Areas: Geometry, Measurement, Physical Science, Problem Solving, Reasoning and Proof, Science and Technology

NGSS Performance Expectations:

Curriculum in this Unit Units serve as guides to a particular content or subject area. Nested under units are lessons (in purple) and hands-on activities (in blue). Note that not all lessons and activities will exist under a unit, and instead may exist as "standalone" curriculum.

• Stack It Up!
• Choosing a Pyramid Site
• Solid Rock to Building Block
• Watch It Slide!
• Pulley'ing Your Own Weight
• Modern Day Pyramids

TE Newsletter

Engineering connection, learning objectives, materials list, worksheets and attachments, more curriculum like this, pre-req knowledge, introduction/motivation, vocabulary/definitions, troubleshooting tips, activity extensions, activity scaling, additional multimedia support, user comments & tips.

An important challenge that engineers face is moving materials from their sources to construction sites. Transporting large and heavy materials over mountainous or sandy terrain can be difficult and costly. Even on site, it can still be tricky to move the materials to exactly where they are needed, for example lifting heavy materials to the top floor of a building under construction. Engineers often incorporate simple machines into their designs of real-world transport methods to efficiently and safely move cumbersome building materials to construction sites and locations within the construction sites.

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Design a transportation system using a wheel and axle, and a lever.
• Modify the transportation system for speedier transportation.
• Understand how levers simplify the transportation of materials.
• Understand how the wheel and axle system simplifies the transportation of materials.

Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .

Ngss: next generation science standards - science.

Common Core State Standards - Math

View aligned curriculum

Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!

International Technology and Engineering Educators Association - Technology

State standards, colorado - math.

Each group needs:

• Wheeling It In! Worksheet

To share with the entire class:

• disposable containers for the transportation system body, such as empty milk cartons, used plastic water bottles, Styrofoam bowls, etc.
• disposable items for transportation system wheels, such as CDs, LifeSavers® candy (gummy or mint/hard), straws, etc.
• disposable items for transportation system axles, such as pencils, toothpicks, chopsticks, Popsicle sticks, etc.
• construction paper
• clay blocks, rocks or weights
• weight balance or scale

General knowledge of pyramids. Familiarity with the six simple machines introduced in Lesson 1 of this unit.

Imagine you are visiting a rock quarry. This is where you excavate the huge rocks needed to build your pyramid or modern-day building. But how are you going to transport these rocks to your construction site? Think about how stone is transported today. Now imagine what it must have been like centuries ago! How might the Egyptian and Mesoamerican people have transported rock to make pyramids? How strong would you need to be to carry rocks by hand that each weigh more than an elephant? Today we're going to build our own transportation systems.

When building today, we use dump trucks to transport materials from one place to another. Have you seen these trucks around your town? Have you ever seen a house being built? Construction of a house, like a pyramid, requires a large amount of materials. Dump trucks help transport these materials, and make it easy to load and unload. Can anyone tell me how they do this? (Answer: They use the mechanical advantages of simple machines . A dump truck bed is a lever . When materials are ready to be dumped, the lever lifts the bed, pivoting at the fulcrum , so the materials slide down towards the lowered end. See Figure 2.) What about the wheel and axle on dump trucks? How can trucks carry so much weight ? (Answer: The four to six (or more) wheels on each axle, instead of two as on most cars, enable a truck to carry a greater amount of weight.)

What are some other ways the wheel and axle, and the lever can be combined to develop transportation systems? (Answer: You might use a lever to load/unload materials on to/from a wheel and axle, such as in a wheelbarrow. See Figure 3.)

Today, I'm hiring you as a lead engineer for a huge transportation project—the building of a large and impressive pyramid! You are going to design and build your own transportation system, including a wheel and axle, and a lever.

To set the stage for this activity, show students the Wheeling It In! Presentation , a PowerPoint® file. (Either show students the slide presentation or print out the slides to use with an overhead projector. The presentation is animated to promote an inquiry-based style; each click reveals a new point about each machine; have students suggest characteristics and examples before you reveal them.)

In this activity, student teams follow the worksheet instructions to each create a transportation cart and a lever. During the activity, emphasize the need to test and re-design the carts, and refer to the steps of the engineering design process (as described in the Activity Extensions section). After the transportation systems are built, students race their carts/trucks, measuring distance, time and weight; and then calculate total distance and speed.

Before the Activity

• Gather materials and make copies of the Wheeling It In! Worksheet .
• Use the 11-slide Wheeling It In! Presentation to introduce the activity.
• Make available a vehicle testing area that provides a clear, smooth area (floor or tabletop) that is at least 3 meters long.

With the Students

• (optional) Review vocabulary words using the classroom board.
• Divide the class into teams of two students each.
• Start the activity by simulating the setup illustrated on slide 9 of the presentation and Figure 4, the Egyptians' transport system. Discuss how the rolling log cylinders serve as "wheels and axles" even though the axle is a solid core.
• Hand out materials and worksheets.
• Begin by having students read the "engineering assignment letter" that explains the design challenge task (on page 1 of the worksheet).
• Direct the teams to use the provided materials and follow the worksheet instructions to design and build a transportation system that incorporates the use of a wheel and axle, and a lever. Have them sketch their designs before beginning construction.
• (optional) Review the steps of the engineering design process (see slide 11 and the Activity Extensions section). This approach aligns with the worksheet questions.
• Once teams have created the transportation systems, proceed to a cleared part of the classroom to test the transportation systems for speed.
• Have students weigh and record the load their transportation system will carry.
• Use stopwatches to record the amount of time it takes each team to race its vehicle 3 meters, dump the load and return to the starting point.
• Have students calculate the total distance traveled (6 meters), and the speed at which they traveled, recording these numbers on the team worksheet. Ask students to be aware of the direction of force they use to push or pull their transportation system. Would pushing or pulling in a different direction make it easier or more difficult?
• Note regarding measurements: The total distance is defined by the teacher, and is twice the distance from point A to point B (for example 2 x 3 meters = 6 meters). Speed = total distance ÷ time. Expect students to use the calculated total distance (in meters) and the amount of time it takes to travel that distance (in seconds) to find the speed in meters per second. Expect students to use a scale or balance to measure the amount of weight that the transportation system contained.
• Pose the question: Would weight affect how difficult or easy it is to push or pull your cart/transportation system in any direction? (Answer: Yes. Adding weight makes the force necessary to push or pull the cart greater and thus more difficult to push or pull manually.)
• Conclude by making a chart on the board with all team results. Lead a class discussion, asking the class the worksheet questions so they share with everyone what they learned. Complete the KWL chart or other summary assessments described in the Assessment section.

distance: A measure of space between two points.

excavate: To remove by digging or scooping out.

force: A push or pull on an object.

fulcrum: The point at which a lever pivots.

lever: A simple machine that increases or decreases the force to lift something. Usually a bar pivoted on a fixed point (fulcrum) to which force is applied to do work.

mechanical advantage : An advantage gained by using simple machines to accomplish work with less effort. Making the task easier (which means it requires less force), but may require more time or room to work (more distance, rope, etc.). For example, applying a smaller force over a longer distance to achieve the same effect as applying a large force over a small distance. The ratio of the output force exerted by a machine to the input force applied to it.

pivot: To cause to rotate, revolve or turn.

quarry: A pit from which rock or stone is removed from the ground.

simple machine: A machine with few or no moving parts that is used to make work easier (provides a mechanical advantage). Well-known six: wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and pulley.

speed: A measure of how fast an object is traveling.

transport: To carry from one place to another; to convey.

weight: A measure of how heavy or light something is. The weight of an object is the mass of the object times the force of gravity pulling on the object.

wheel and axle: A simple machine that reduces the friction of moving by rolling. A wheel is a disk designed to turn around an axle passed through the center of the wheel. An axle is a supporting cylinder on which a wheel or a set of wheels revolves.

work: THe force on an object multiplied by the distance it moves. W = F x d (force multiplied by distance).

Pre-Activity Assessment

Know / Want to Know / Learn (KWL) Chart: Before the activity, ask students to write down in the top left corner of a piece of paper (or as a group on the classroom board) under the title, Know , all the things they know about transportation systems. Next, in the top right corner under the title, Want to Know , ask students to write down anything they want to know about transportation systems. After the activity, ask students to list in the bottom half of the page under the title, Learned , all of the things that they have learned about transportation systems.

Activity Embedded Assessment

Worksheet: Observe students as they complete the activity worksheet. Is each student engaged? Do their drawings demonstrate a thorough understanding of why they are using a specific type of wheel and axle, or lever? Review their answers to gauge their mastery of the subject.

Post-Activity Assessment

Show and Tell: Have students show their engineering designs to the rest of the class, and describe why their designs are so awesome. Ask them to explain why they chose the materials they used.

Question/Answer: Ask each team:

• Was your design for pyramid building in Mesoamerica or Egypt?
• How did this choice of location affect your design?
• Did you expect your system to carry a lot of weight, or travel faster?
• Would it be safe for passengers to ride in your system?

Open Discussion: Ask the students and discuss as a class:

• Was your design goal to transport many smaller stone blocks, or fewer large stone blocks?
• Was the speed or distance you must transport the stone blocks your primary concern? Why?
• What materials did you use in your design? Why did you choose them?
• How does the wheel and axle, or lever, make transporting your blocks easier?
• What is the mechanical advantage of the wheel and axle? (Answer: It allows for faster transportation at the expense of many revolutions.)
• What is the mechanical advantage of the lever? (Answer: It requires less force, but over a longer distance, to lift something.)
• At what speed did your transportation system travel? (Compare results from all teams.)
• How much weight did your transportation system successfully transport?
• In your own words, describe your steps in the engineering design process. (Answer: Figure out the goal, brainstorm and design, plan, create or prototype, and improve.)
• How could you make your transportation system faster?
• How could you make your transportation system stronger so it could carry more weight?
• Why do material transportation systems look different than passenger transportation systems? (Answer: Passengers require a larger amount of comfort and safety, but some systems, such as trains, are used for both cargo and passengers.)

KWL Chart: Finish the remaining section of the KWL Chart as described earlier in the Assessment section. After the activity, ask students to list in the bottom half of the page under the title, Learned , all of the things that they have learned about transportation systems. Were all of the W questions answered? What new things did they learn?

Safety Issues

• Be careful with scissors when cutting milk cartons and water bottles.
• Set up the race track so that not all students are racing at the same time.

If you are unable to locate milk cartons or water bottles, any other disposable containers work just as well as long as they can be easily and safely cut by students.

Use sand or soil to re-create an Egyptian or Mesoamerican setting that the transportation systems must traverse. Or, take advantage of sandy or rocky playground areas on which to test the transportation systems in those conditions.

Assign students to investigate and write reports on the evolution of transportation engineering.

As students design and build their own versions of ancient transport systems, introduce them to the engineering design process —a series of steps that engineering teams use to guide them as they solve problems.

Engineering Design Process

As the students design and build their own version of an ancient transport system, consider introducing them to the engineering design process — a series of steps that engineering teams use to guide them as they solve problems.

• Ask: Indentify the Needs and Constraints:  What is the problem? What do I want to do? What are the project requirements? What are the limitations? Who is the customer? What is the goal? 
• Research the Problem:  Gather information and research what others have done. Talk to people from many different backgrounds and specialties to assist with researching what products or solutions already exist, or what technologies might be adaptable to your needs.
• Imagine: Develop Possible Solutions:  You work with a team to brainstorm ideas and develop as many solutions as possible. This is the time to encourage wild ideas and defer judgment! Build on the ideas of others! Stay focused on topic, and have one conversation at a time! Remember: good design is all about teamwork!
• Plan: Select a Promising Idea: Revisit the needs, constraints and research from the earlier steps, compare your best ideas, select one solution and make a plan to move forward with it.
• Create: Build a Prototype: Building a prototype makes your ideas real! These early versions of the design solution help your team verify whether the design meets the original challenge objectives. Push yourself for creativity, imagination and excellence in design.
• Test and Evaluate Prototype:  Does it work? Does it solve the need? Communicate the results and get feedback. Analyze and talk about what works, what doesn't and what could be improved.
• Improve: Redesign as Needed: Discuss how you could improve your solution. Make revisions. Draw new designs. Iterate your design to make your product the best it can be.
• And now, REPEAT !

Engineers explore all possible options and compare many design ideas. This approach is called open-ended design because when you start to solve a problem, you don't know what the best solution will be. Engineers use prototypes, or early versions of designs to improve their understanding of the problem, identify missing requirements, evaluate design objectives and product features, and get feedback from others. Engineers select the solution that best uses the available resources and best meets the project's requirements.

• For lower grades, have teams weigh their transport systems, but not calculate distance traveled or speed.
• For upper grades, do not pre-define the total distance the transport systems should travel, and require a more in-depth description of the various forces acting upon the transportation system.

Show students a six-minute video about a Michigan man who is building a Stonehenge replica to show people how its huge blocks could have been placed without the use of modern equipment. See Building Stonehenge: This Man Can Move Anything at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRRDzFROMx0

Students explore methods employing simple machines likely used in ancient pyramid building, as well as common modern-day material transportation. They learn about the wheel and axle as a means to transport materials from rock quarry to construction site.

Students are introduced to the six types of simple machines — the wedge, wheel and axle, lever, inclined plane, screw, and pulley — in the context of the construction of a pyramid, gaining high-level insights into tools that have been used since ancient times and are still in use today.

Students are introduced to three of the six simple machines used by many engineers: lever, pulley, and wheel-and-axle. In general, engineers use the lever to magnify the force applied to an object, the pulley to lift heavy loads over a vertical path, and the wheel-and-axle to magnify the torque appl...

Students learn how simple machines, including wedges, were used in building both ancient pyramids and present-day skyscrapers. In a hands-on activity, students test a variety of wedges on different materials (wax, soap, clay, foam).

Dictionary.com. Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. Accessed January 18, 2006. (Source of some vocabulary definitions, with some adaptation) http://www.dictionary.com

Loethen, Chris. Pyramids Schmeramids: Why the Pyramids of Egypt and Mesoamerica Do Not Share a Common Source . Accessed January 18, 2006. http://anth507.tripod.com/pyramids.htm

Pyramid Challenge . BBC-History, British Broadcasting Corporation, London, UK. Accessed January 18, 2006. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/launch_gms_pyramid_builder.shtml

Westbroek, Glen. Wheel and Axle . Updated August 7, 2000. Utah State Office of Education. (Excellent animation of wheel and axle.) Accessed January 18, 2006. http://utahscience.oremjr.alpine.k12.ut.us/sciber99/8th/machines/sciber/machine7.htm

Contributors

Supporting program, acknowledgements.

The contents of this digital library curriculum were developed under grants from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education, and National Science Foundation (GK-12 grant no 0338326). However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policies of the DOE or NSF, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

Last modified: October 30, 2020

• Wheel and Axle

When a wheel is affixed to an axle of a smaller diameter, a mechanical advantage can be gained. This is essentially another form of a lever.

The mechanical advantage provided by this arrangement can be calculated as follows:

Notice that this arrangement is really just another way of making a lever.

Wheels are also used to reduce friction via rolling contact.

• Inclined Plane