Activate middle schoolers' minds with this physical science activity. Learners vary the diameter of gears and the number of teeth on them to find how energy output is affected. This writeup features well-developed background...

Students discuss that the conservatin of energy states that the energy imput must equal the energy output. They then figure out how can a machine help you to perform task otherwise considered impossible? Students discuss the six simple...

Students explore gears.  In this simple machines and ratio lesson plan, students view a video clip in which front and rear bicycle gears are explained. From a set of gear combinations and gear ratios, students identify high and low...

In this learning about gears instructional activity, 5th graders read and discuss a 1 page article on gears, fill in 7 blanks to complete 5 facts about gears and make a set of gears from a template provided in the instructional activity.

Students explore how the different parts of a bicycle relate to each other and identify the subsystems. They discover how bicycles work and investigate their history. In groups, students research each of the subsystems and present...

In this bicycle as a system worksheet, students are assigned a subsystem of a bicycle, such as the wheel, the brakes and steering, or the frame. Each group of students identifies the parts, the function, the input, and the output of the...

For this bicycle worksheet, students learn how the gears of a bicycle transfer energy. This worksheet has 2 short answer questions and 5 problems to solve.

Students explore the difference between compound and simple machines in this six lessons of this unit. The purpose and importance of a variety of types of simple machines and the effects of friction are investigated.

Fourth graders discover the principles and uses of gears noting that they can be used to change the direction of motion or the speed of an object. They may also change the force and/or distance through which an object turns. They then...

In this science worksheet, students focus upon the concept of bicycle gears and develop the answers to the 2 questions at the bottom of the page.

Students conclude that magnets and magnetic fields can produce electricity. Students also understand how a small motor works and how gears work. Students describe how energy can transform along a pathway.

Learners explain the relationship between magnetism and electricity. In this physics lesson, students describe the transformation of energy. They create an electromagnet and investigate the factors affecting its strength.

Students examine the concept of angular momentum and its correlation to mass, velocity, and radius. They listen to a teacher-led lecture, conduct an experiment with rotational inertia, angular momentum, and rotation speed by making...

Young scholars explore simple machines used in the home. In this simple machines instructional activity, students discover that many household items are constructed from simple machines. Young scholars interact with nutcrackers, peelers,...

Students work together to discover the concept of angular momentum. They participate in experiments in which they test rotation and relate it to an object's mass. They participate in a literacy activity in which they compare mythology...

Students identify the advantages and disadvantages of wind farms and turbines. They examine how weather conditions can affect their effectiveness and how engineers are trying to solve the problem. They discover how engineers use this...

Music boxes, bicycles, and clocks all have one thing in common: GEARS. You might say that gears make the world turn, since they are in so many mechanical instruments. How do they work and how do you know which gears to use? Find out in...

Here's an abstract of a project from Science Buddies that asks you to experiment with bicycle gears and the circumference of the wheel to determine revolutions per minute.

Several good activities here. Look particularly at Wheel Figure It Out (which is the opening page) and Gearing Up. There are answers to the very good questions at the bottom of each.

Bianca visits a bike shop and learns how bicycle gears work in this Cyberchase video segment. [3:26]

Discover the basic structure of the bicycle chain drive system, and find out how it has developed over the years.

Exceptionally well-designed site from Exploratorium, the museum of science, art, and human perception. Analyzes the physics of cycling associated with the use of gears, human-powered motion, braking and steering, and drafting.