Simple Science

= Gears Gears are a fundamental part of modern technology. Since their inception, they have been used to great effect, being used in tools from the smallest bikes to the largest cars. But, how do they work? Gears, in their most basic form, are wheels with "teeth" that can interconnect with other gears. The gear that is powered is called the driver, and interconnected gears are called follower gears. The two primary functions of gears are to transfer motion, and amplify force. Transferal of Motion is simple: the gear moves, and the teeth, interconnected, move the other gears as well. The basic principle of moving power is simple, and the more complex principles follow easily. The direction of the gears is important as well. When there is simply a driver and a follower gear together, they will always move in opposite  directions. However, when there is an idler gear between them, they will move in the same direction. Essentially, the gear next to a gear will move in the opposit...

What are automata? Why do they exist? What do they do? First, there are two major parts of automata: The cams, and the cranks. Cams are essentially shaped wheels that rotate and can be connected to other cams, allowing for the  transferal of motion . They are shaped in various ways, as such: Round: Smooth rotary motion Ellipse:  Sudden, yet smooth up and down motion Egg-shaped: Starting off as round motion, but switching to elliptical/eccentrc before moving back to round motion. Eccentric: Consistent smooth up and down motion Hexagon: Sharp up and down motion Snail: Combines the round and hexagon types together. Cranks:  Cranks are shafts connected to cams. They typically serve two purposes: The first is to connect outside of the system to a handle, which can be rotated by a motor or other power source to power the system. The second is to transfer motion throughout the system, sometimes up and down, sometimes rotary. Here are some Automata that give perspective onto...

 A wheel and axle is a simple machine, and a very useful one at that. However, not all forms of a wheel and axle are equal. Let's look at the four cases: Wheel is fixed, Axle is fixed, Body is fixed                         In this case, the wheel, axle, and body are all fixed. This case will never work, because the wheel, being attached to the body, cannot rotate at all. This case is similar to, say, pushing a round pair of headphones across a table. The earphones, despite being circular and looking like they are a wheel, will not rotate and will merely slide. _________________________________________________________________________________ Wheel is not fixed, Axle is not fixed, Body is not fixed                    In this case, everything is free moving and does not have solid connections. When you push this, it will spin, but it will be highly unstable. The reas...