How Gears Help Drive the World
Gears and gear trains (multiple gears working together) are used everywhere around us to
help the machines we use everyday work better. In this investigation we will look at how
gears can slow down or speed up motion and how they can make a small motor do a big
job.
Activity 1- Examine the gears
Look at each of the gears in your kit: You may find three gears with 8, 24, and 40 teeth.
Each of these is a special type of gear called a spur gear.
What about each gear is similar?
What is different?
Activity 2- The Motor
Objective: How much weight are your motors capable of lifting without the help of
gears?
Procedure:
1. Secure the first motor firmly to a table top and
attach a LEGO wheel (without a tire) to the shaft to act as a spool.
2. Tape some string to the wheel so that it can be wound around the spool. The other end
of the string should be attached to a cup used to lift various weights.
3. Connect the motor to a battery or to a solar cell and shine the light on it.
4. Record the results below.
My big motor could lift _________ unifix cubes.
My smaller motor could lift __________ unifix cubes
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