This document provides information about mechanisms and how they make life easier. It begins by posing the question "What are Mechanisms & How do they Make Our Lives easier?" and outlines different learning outcomes for understanding mechanisms. It then describes various common mechanisms like levers, linkages, gears, cranks, pulleys, racks and pinions, and chains/sprockets. For each mechanism, examples are given of how it works and products that use it. The document explains that mechanisms allow humans to perform tasks that would otherwise be impossible due to our limited strength, and transmit and change types of motion to make tasks easier.

1. On the post-it note in front of you have 30 seconds to
independently write down your answer/thoughts on the BIG
QUESTION!
IMPORTANT – Come and stick your answer to the board !
What are Mechanisms & How do they
Make Our Lives easier?
Mechanisms ?

2. • To answer the BIG Question, What are
Mechanisms and how do they work?
• To develop knowledge of products that use
these mechanisms.
• To understand how mechanisms make our
lives easier.

3. I will be able to list some examples of mechanisms. I will
recognise how mechanisms make our life easier and give
some examples of products that use mechanisms. (Level 6)
I will discuss some mechanisms in detail. I will be able
to explain why mechanisms are used. I will explore the
real life application of mechanisms (Level 7)
I will be able to explain in detail what mechanisms are
and why they are used. I will identify independently the
mechanisms that products use, how they work and
make life easier. (Level 8 )
Some Learning Outcomes could
be…..

4. Whilst thinking about it is your challenge to :
Spend One Minute on each table to individually collect information about
each type of mechanism.
Fill in your Big challenge sheet as you go around with information about :
 How the Mechanism works (you could draw and label)
 Products that use this mechanism.
 How the Mechanism makes our lives easier.

5. What is a Mechanism?
Creates
Movement!
A device
that uses
forces and
movement.
= The Input
forces and
movement.
= The
Output
Mechanisms
usually consist of
moving parts
such as : Gears ,
Linkages , Belt
and Chains and
Followers.
Mechanisms Make
Life Easier and more
comfortable!
Transmits
energy in
the form of
Movement.
The technological
advances humans
have made through the
ages, have been
closely linked with their
ability to harness
energy and use it to
perform mechanical
work.
Although humans are
very clever creatures,
our size, structure and
muscles put severe
limitations on what we
can do. –
MECHANISMS HELP!

6. One of the oldest mechanisms is
the lever. Stone Age people used
them to move large objects.
Put your hands either side
of your face.
Move your Jaw up and
down. – Your Jaw is a
Lever!
Levers can be used in addition to
human muscles; they help humans to
do jobs which could not be done
otherwise because of their limited
strength.
A lever makes
life easier for
use! - Moving
things. , Lifting
things

7. Levers are an essential part of many
mechanisms. They can be used to change the
amount, the strength and the direction of
movement.
Like a see-saw or balance, the load
and the force work together. As one
moves up the other moves down.

8. Linkages = Lots of Levers joined
together!
The Pivot! = the
center point of
the lever system
Linkages are an essential part of
many mechanisms. They can be
used to change direction, alter
speed and change the timing of
moving parts.

9. Lever and Linkage Examples!
Scissors
Garden
Shears –
The longer
the handles
the bigger
the force
applied!
Our Body has many
Lever mechanisms!
Arm , Neck , Jaw ,
Legs

10. The crank is used to
convert/change rotary motion
to reciprocating or oscillating
motion.
With careful timing it can also
be used to convert motion the
other way... from reciprocating
to rotary.
Rotary = Movement
in a circular motion
Reciprocating =
movement
backwards and
forwards or up and
down.
Oscillating =
Movement from side
to side in a half circle
motion e.g. A
grandfather clock
pendulum

11. Mechanical
Pencil
Sharpener
When you turn
the handle with
a ROTARY motion
the people move
up and down =
RECIPROCATING
Manually
operated car
window
A Fishing Rod
Reel
Crank system –
foot pedal on
Sewing Machine.
Crank set on a bike
converts
reciprocating motion
of the riders legs into
rotational motion to
drive the chain.

12. Gears are used to change speed in
rotational movement.
In the example above the blue gear has
eleven teeth and the orange gear has
twenty five. To turn the orange gear one full
turn the blue gear must turn 2.27 turns.
Gears turn in alternate directions.
gears turning in the
same direction would not
be able to turn, the gears
would lock together.
Have a go
with the
gears
example
on your
table !
A gear is different from a pulley in that
a gear is a round wheel which has
linkages

13. Bevel gears can be used to
change the direction of drive in a gear
system by 90 degrees. A good
example is seen as the main
mechanism for a hand drill.
As the handle of the drill is turned in a
vertical direction, the bevel gears
change the rotation of the chuck to a
horizontal rotation.

14. Non-digital Clock
Gears!
Bicycle Gears
A worm gear is a type of gear used
to reduce speed. For each complete
turn of the worm the gear advances
only one tooth of the gear.
Hand Whisk/Egg
Beater
Can opener gears

15. A simple pulley. As the rope is pulled down
the weight moves up by the same distance.
Compound pulley - The rope is
wrapped around two pulleys. As the
rope is pulled the weight, this time
attached to the lower pulley rather
than direct to the rope, moves up
slower than the speed that the rope is
pulled.
By wrapping the rope several times
around the pulleys it is easily
possible to lift your own weight off
the ground!
A pulley is a wheel on an axle that is
designed to support movement of a
cable or belt along its circumference.

16. Pulley systems can be used to lift
weights safely and effectively
In general a single pulley is useful as it
allows the worker to lift the weight without
bending his back. This means it is much
safer to lift the weight.
Pulleys are used in a variety of ways to
lift loads, apply forces, and to transmit
power.
Belt and Pulley System e.g. A
conveyer belt at a supermarket.
Pulleys
used on
boats.
Pulley
systems for
rock
climbing
equipment

17. Pulley System on
Window Blinds
Pulley System to
open and close
garage doors.
Cranes using Pulley Systems
(not to lift elephants!)
Pulley on a Well
Large Pulley
Systems. – e.g. A
Ski lift system.

18. used to convert between rotary and
linear motion.
the pinion is the gear.
Rack and pinion can convert from
rotary to linear or from linear to rotary.
The rack is the flat, toothed part.

19. The diameter of the gear determines
the speed that the rack moves as the
pinion turns.
Rack and pinions are commonly used
in the steering system of cars to
convert the rotary motion of the
steering wheel to the side to side
motion in the wheels.
Pillar Drill : As the handle is turned the
table moves up and down the central
pillar of the drill. This makes it easy to
move the table and takes the
minimum of effort.
The rack and pinion reduces the force
needed to move the table and most
importantly protects the machine operator
and his/her back from excessive strain.

20. A good example of a ‘rack and pinion’
gear system can be seen on trains
that are designed to travel up steep
inclines.
The wheels on a train are steel and
they have no way of griping the steel
track. - The Rack and Pinion creates
good grip.
A good example of a ‘rack and pinion’
train is seen in the Snowdonia National
Park (North Wales). Mount Snowdon is
the highest mountain in Wales.
Rack and pinion
gears are also
used in some
scales to turn the
dial that displays
your weight.

21. Chains are used to connect gears. They
work in a similar way to pulleys but with a
positive drive rather than a reliance on
friction.
Gears which are connected by chain turn
in the same direction unlike gears which
mesh against each other.
Like gears, chain and sprocket drives
are used to transmit rotary
motion from one place to another
Unlike gears however, the direction of
rotation for any wheels within the chain is
the same.

22. Also unlike gears, the wheels do not
touch, they can be as far apart as the
chain allows.
Gears driven by chains are used in
machinery, motorcycles, bicycles , in
car engines and have many more
applications.
Caterpillar Tank !
Movie Projector!

23. What are Mechanisms & How do they
Make Our Lives easier?
Write a New
Post-it Note
with a new
answer to the
BIG
QUESTION!

24. • Pivot
• Linkage ( Link up Levers)
• Lever
• Gears
• Rack and Pinion
• Chain and Sprocket
• Cranks
• Pulleys
• Make Life Easier
• Force
• Motion
• Movement
• Machines
• Help Human Power
• Stone Age
• Bike chain
• Window Blinds
Scissors
Nut crackers
Arm
Jaw mechanism
See-saw
Motions :
Linear
Rotary
Reciprocating
Oscillating