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Wheel and Axel
Simple Machines

The wheel and axel is another simple machine that I am describing in my web site.

The wheel and axle is a very popular simple machine. It looks like a kind of lever. A wheel and axle is made up of a few objects. In the picture on the left, the small rod which is the axle, is stuck rigidly to a large wheel, which is the fan blades, so that when the rod that is stuck to the wheel turns, the wheel would also turn. A wheel with a rod, called an axle, through its center lifts or moves loads. The rotation of the lever against a point pries objects loose. That rotation motion can also do other kinds of work. Another kind of lever, the wheel and axle, moves objects across distances. The wheel, the round end, turns the axle, the cylindrical post, causing movement. On a wagon, for example, the bucket rests on top of the axle. As the wheel rotates the axle, the wagon moves. Now, place your pet dog in the bucket, and you can easily move him around the yard. On a truck, for example, the cargo hold rests on top of several axles. As the wheels rotate the axles, the truck moves.

The Wheel and Axel