Question

How do wheels and axles work?

Answer 1

In this question, we will first know about the wheel and the axel, this system and its structure will help us know how this system works. Also, we will know about the conservation of energy that is required to be noticed in this given system.

Complete solution:
As we know that the wheel and axle is a type of simple machine that is used to make our work easier in terms of manipulating force by applying the concept of mechanics. Here, as we can see in the diagram, the wheel and axle both consist of a round disk that is known as a wheel.

There is also a rod present through the centre of the wheel which is known as the axle. This complete system uses angular momentum and torque to do work on different objects. Now, this complete system of wheel and axle machines is closely related to gears that we know.

Now, as we know that the work done by an object or body is always given by force times the distance, and this should be always the same because of the law of conservation of energy, which can never be violated.

Now, if we go in detail to the working of this system of the wheel and axle, this system needs a force to lift the given load or object, but this force can be less than the weight of the given object. However, the force a person should apply may not be very large when we compare to the force it does on the given object, also, the distance a person needs to rotate the wheel is much larger than the distance the axle rotates through.

We should also know that this system of the wheel and axle work by reducing the effect of friction on an object when we apply a force, thereby this force creates a mechanical advantage.

Note:
We should know that the law of conservation of energy can never be violet in any situation, according to this law, the total energy of a given system remains conserved. Also we note that the total energy is the sum of kinetic energy and the potential energy.