What About the Wheel and Axle?

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

• Did you know the wheel and axle were used over 5,000 years ago?

The wheel is the round part of the machine, and the axle is the post that the wheel is attached to create a tool.

Simple machines, like the wheel and axle, are basic tools that make tasks easier by changing the way force is applied.

They're important because they help us do work with less effort, making everyday tasks like lifting, moving, and building things much simpler.

To help you learn and remember the different uses for the wheel and axle, print Facts About Wheels and Axles, found in Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar, and complete the handout as you learn.

The wheel and axle were first used for moving water from deep into the ground and from a river or lake. Early humans used wagons with wheels and axles to move heavy water.

Another early use of the wheel was as a potter wheel, so people could easily make bowls, plates, and other pottery. The keyword to that fact is easily.

Wheels are used in tools like wheelbarrows and carts.

Think about how hard it would be to go grocery shopping without the wheel and axle on a shopping cart.

Wheels are an important simple machine that every person has used at some time.

Every moving vehicle uses wheels and axles. Use the slider beneath the images below to see examples.

Look around the room you are sitting in right now.

• Do you see any wheels?
• Are there any door knobs?

• Do you have a rolling pin for flattening dough?

• What about a ceiling fan?

Another example is a record player!

• Have you ever seen one of these before?

• Have you ever seen a manual, old-fashioned pencil sharpener?

That is another example of a wheel and axle.

• Have you ever worn roller blades or roller skates?

If so, you have used wheels and axles as your source of transportation!

As you can see, the wheel and axle is an essential simple machine for us. It is used daily for so many reasons and makes our lives much easier, and more fun!

In the Got It? section, you will put this new knowledge to use.