Area 01
Mechanics
Forces, motion and energy: the rules behind every machine
Mechanics explains why things move, speed up, slow down or stay still. It is the foundation of almost every machine.
What you will learn
- What a force is and how forces combine
- How friction helps, and how it gets in the way
- How levers, pulleys and ramps make work easier
- How energy changes from one form to another
Example experiments
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Roll a cart down ramps of different angles and compare its speed.
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Move the pivot of a lever and find the smallest force that lifts a load.
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Change the surface under a block and see how friction changes its motion.
Things you can build
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A ramp with a cart and a stopper
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A lever that lifts a heavy load
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A simple pulley system
These examples show the kind of work in this area. The published lessons may differ.
Try a small model
These small models run right here in your browser and keep working offline once the page has loaded. They are simplified teaching models, not the MEKALUMI simulation engine.
Tip: drag the left gear to turn it by hand.
Gear train
Change the number of teeth on each gear. Watch how the speed and the turning force change.
- Gear ratio
- 1 : 2
- Output speed
- 15 rpm · 2× slower
- Turning force
- × 2
- Direction
- Opposite to the motor
When a small gear drives a big one, the big gear turns more slowly but with more force. Winches, bicycles and clocks use this idea.
Model: ideal gears without friction or slipping. Motor speed: 30 rpm.
What the simulation simplifies
- Objects are usually treated as perfectly rigid: they do not dent, crack or wear out.
- Friction and air resistance follow simple formulas; the real world is messier.
Every simulation simplifies reality. Knowing how it does so is part of learning engineering.
Links to school subjects
Physics, mathematics (angles and ratios), sport
Connections to other areas
Mechanics is the base for kinematics, structures and robotics.
Good to know
Archimedes is said to have claimed that with a long enough lever and a place to stand, he could move the Earth.