Question

How does winding a toy cause movement of the toy?

Answer 1

Use the law of conservation of energy. Explain the different parts used in a wind-up toy. Explain the working of these different parts in the toy. Also explain how the energy is conserved in the wind-up toy by the conversion of the spring potential energy into the kinetic energy.

Complete step by step answer:
The toy which moves when the winder is released by rotating it is known as the wind-up toy. The main components responsible for the movement of the wind-up toy are winder, spring and gear.The gears in the toy are attached to the spring and the spring is attached to a winder which is outside the toy with a handle.When we rotate the winder by rotating the handle, the spring attached to the winder also rotates and stores spring potential energy due to winding into it.When the wider which we use to wind-up the spring is released, the spring in the toy unwinds and the spring potential energy in the spring gets converted into kinetic energy.This converted kinetic energy gives a velocity to the gears attached to the spring and the toy starts to move.

Note: One may assume that due to the winding of the winder in the wind-up toy, there is generation of the rotational energy in the toy which is converted into the kinetic energy for the movement of the toy. But the energy given to the toy by winding it is stored as spring potential energy in the spring and then converted into kinetic energy which is used for the movement of the toy.