Lesson 2.

2 Mechanical Systems
Understandings
1. Energy is the capacity to do work; the use of mechanisms is necessary to
transfer energy.
2. Engineers and technologists design mechanisms to change energy by
transferring direction, speed, type of movement, and force or torque.
3. Mechanisms can be used individually, in pairs, or in systems.

Knowledge and Skills

It is expected that students will:
Use ratios to solve mechanical advantage problems.
Use numerical and algebraic expressions and equations to solve
real-life problems, such as gear ratios.
Use the characteristics of a specific mechanism to evaluate its
purpose and applications.
Apply knowledge of mechanisms to solve a unique problem for
speed, torque, force, or type of motion.

Essential Questions
1. Which mechanism would be used to increase speed?
To increase speed, you would use a chain drive.
2. Which mechanism would be used to increase torque or force?
A worm and wheel increases torque, and a leadscrew significantly
increases the force.
3. How do you change types of motion using mechanisms?
You can change types of motion using mechanisms as they have
properties to alter torque, speed, force, and therefore direction, velocity, and overall
motion.
4. Where are mechanisms used in real-life applications and what is their
purpose?
The real life application of mechanisms is that we use them everyday in
machines. An example is a car we drive to go places.

Key Terms
Belt and pulley a pulley designed to drive or be driven by a belt.

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Bevel gear where the axes of the two shafts intersect and the tooth-bearing
faces of the gears themselves are conically shaped.
Chain a connected flexible series of metal links used for fastening or
securing objects and pulling or supporting loads.
Crank and slider changes straight-line motion into rotational motion.
Drive gear those parts in a machine most nearly concerned in imparting
motion

Driven gear The gear that receives the driving action from the drive gear.
Energy power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical
resources, especially to provide light and heat or to work
machines.
Force strength or energy as an attribute of physical action or
movement.
Gear one of a set of toothed wheels that work together to alter the
relation between the speed of a driving mechanism (such as the
engine of a vehicle or the crank of a bicycle) and the speed of the
driven parts (the wheels).
Gear ratio the input speed relative to the output speed. It is typically written
as: Gear Ratio = w in. : w out.
Idler gear a gear wheel that is inserted between two or more other gear
wheels.
Input what is put in, taken in, or operated on by any process or system.
Inverse opposite or contrary in position, direction, order, or effect.
Linear motion a motion along a straight line
Mechanism a system of parts working together in a machine; a piece of
machinery.
Oscillate move or swing back and forth at a regular speed.
Output the amount of something produced by a person, machine, or
industry.
Pitch the level of intensity of something.
Rack and pinion a type of linear actuator that comprises a pair of gears which
convert rotational motion into linear motion.
Ratio the quantitative relation between two amounts showing the
number of times one value contains or is contained within the
other.
Reciprocating (of a part of a machine) move backward and forward in a straight
line.
Rotary motion physical motion that happens when an object rotates or spins on
an axis.
Simple gear train used where there is a large distance to be covered between the
input shaft and the output shaft.
Sprocket each of several projections on the rim of a wheel that engage
with the links of a chain or with holes in film, tape, or paper.
Torque a twisting force that tends to cause rotation.
Work the exertion of force overcoming resistance or producing
molecular change.

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Worm and wheel a gear arrangement in which a worm meshes with a worm gear
The two elements are also called the worm screw and worm
wheel.

Instructional Resources
Presentations
Mechanisms Toybox
Mechanisms
Mechanisms Review Game
Word Documents
Activity 2.2.1 Observing Mechanisms
Activity 2.2.2 Mechanical Gears
Activity 2.2.2a Mechanical Gears Review
Project 2.2.3 Windmill Construction
Project 2.2.4 PullToy Construction
Project 2.2.5 Survival Challenge
Lesson 2.2 Key Terms Crossword
Rubrics and Templates
Gateway Notebook Grading Rubric
Project 2.2.4 PullToy Construction Grading Rubric
Project 2.2.5 Survival Challenge Grading Rubric
Building with VEX
Design Brief Template
Decision Matrix Template
My Design Process Solution Template
Isometric Graph Paper Template.doc
Isometric Graph Paper Template.pdf
Orthographic Graph Paper Template.pdf

Reference Sources
Ask Oxford. (2008). AskOxford.com. Retrieved November 18, 2008, from
http://www.askoxford.com
Dictionary. (2008) Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved December 3, 2008,
from http://dictionary.reference.com
International Technology Education Association, (2000). Standards for
technological literacy. Reston, VA: ITEA.

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Litowitz, L. & Brown, R. (2007). Energy, Power and Transportation
Technology. Tinley Park, IL: The Goodheart-Wilcox Company, Inc.
McGraw-Hill dictionary of engineering. (2nd ed.). (2003). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.
Merriam Webster (2008). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved
June 29, 2008, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and International Reading
Association (IRA) (1996). Standards for the English language arts.
Newark, DE: IRA; Urbana, IL: NCTE.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). (2000). Principles and
standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: NCTM.
National Research Council (NRC). (1996). National science education
standards. Washington, D. C.: National Academy Press.
Swernofsky, H. (1999). Technology Interactions. Blacklick, OH:
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
Wright, R. (2004). Technology. Tinley Park, IL: The Goodheart-Wilcox
Company, Inc.

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