My Science School

Create your own boat with a few supplies found around the house. Most real boats use sails or motors to make them move across the water, but you can move your boat around a bowl of water using a magnet.

You Will Need:

• a horseshoe or bar


• magnet a large needle pins a plastic lid (from a margarine tub or coffee can)


• a small square of paper decorated as a sail


• a large bowl of water

What to Do:

1. Choose the magnet pole you will use. Use only one pole-north or south. Ask an adult to stroke the end of the magnet down the length of the needle 50 times from the eye to the point. Always rub in the same direction.

2. Test the needle to see if it now has a magnetic pull. Will it pick up a pin? Be very careful since you are using pins and needles.

3. Have an adult rub the needle 50 more times with the magnet. Make sure you use the same pole. Pin the magnetic needle through the paper sail.

4. Fasten the sail in the centre of the plastic lid. Float the raft in the bowl of water. Use the different poles of the magnet to push and pull the raft across and around the water.

 

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Have you ever noticed how the water in the bath rises when you get in? This happens because your body weight pushes the water aside, or displaces it.

What happens when you get into a larger body of water like a swimming pool? You'll float! Your body pushes aside enough water to equal your weight. But the water also pushes back against your body, so you float! This is called buoyancy. Buoyancy is the upward push of displaced water.

If you could weigh the water your body displaced, it would be equal to the pressure of the water pushing up on your body. The pressure pushing up cancels out your weight pushing down.

So why do some objects sink? Objects that are heavier than the same amount of water sink in water. When you throw a rock into the water, it weighs more than the amount of water it displaces, so it sinks.

 

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People all over the world use trains. There are many different kinds of trains. Some trains pull wagons filled with goods. Cattle, oil, coal, and cars are transported in special types of wagons. Trains also carry container trucks and containers for ships.

Trains that carry people are called passenger trains. Passenger trains have toilets. They sometimes have a dining car so that passengers can eat. Some even have sleeping cars.

Some passenger trains make short trips. Many people travel to work in such trains. These trains are very fast. France and Japan have some of the world's fastest intercity (between cities) trains.

Tracks keep the train on its path. The motor turns the wheels. The wheels turn on tracks. Most tracks are made of two rails, but some use only one rail.

Trains have many cars linked together. The locomotive provides the power. It is usually the wagon at the front, but an engine can pull or push a train, so sometimes it is at the rear of the train. Trains are powered by steam, diesel fuel, or electricity. Few steam engines are used today. Modern locomotives are faster and cleaner than steam engines. They use less fuel, too.

Tram cars are trains that look like buses. They have one car that holds many passengers. Their metal wheels run on two rails in the street. A cable hangs above the rails. It supplies electric power for the tram.

Subway trains move on tracks underground. They also have a third rail. The third rail provides electric power to make the train move.

 

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A campervan (or camper van), sometimes referred to as a camper, caravanette, or motor caravan, is a self-propelled vehicle that provides both transport and sleeping accommodation. The term mainly describes vans that have been fitted out, often with a coachbuilt body for use as accommodation.

Campervans may be equipped either with a "pop-up" roof which is raised during camping or a fixed roof, either shared with the commercial van that forms the basis of the vehicle (commonly a "high-top" model), or as part of a custom coachbuilt body.

Campervans usually have a small kitchen with a refrigerator (which is often powerable by a choice of gas, battery, or mains electricity) and a two-burner gas hob and grill. They generally have dual-voltage lighting which can work from either a dedicated battery (other than the van battery) known as a deep-cycle or leisure battery, or from AC power, supplied at a campsite via a hook-up cable. Larger models may include a water heater, space heating and air conditioning, a portable toilet and even an internal shower. Smaller models often carry a "porta-potty" portable toilet, and sometimes an external shower which operates within the privacy of an awning.

 

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Ready mixed refers to concrete that is batched for delivery from a central plant instead of being mixed on the job site. Each batch of ready-mixed concrete is tailor-made according to the specifics of the contractor and is delivered to the contractor in a plastic condition, usually in the cylindrical trucks often known as "cement mixers."

The biggest advantage is that concrete is produced under controlled conditions. Therefore, Quality concrete is obtained, as a ready-mix concrete mix plant makes use of sophisticated equipment and consistent methods. There is strict control over the testing of materials, process parameters and continuous monitoring of key practices during the manufacturing process. Poor control on the input materials, batching and mixing methods in the case of site mix concrete is solved in a ready-mix concrete production method. Less consumption of cement indirectly results in less environmental pollution. Ready mix concrete manufacture has less dependency on human labours hence the chances of human error is reduced. This will also reduce the dependency on intensive labour.

 

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It is also known as the tipper truck which is used to transport lose materials from one place to another usually in the construction sites. The whole equipment consists of an open box part which is for the containment of the materials. The open box is attached with the hydraulics which is used for taking out the materials which is done when the ram is lifted upwards. There are different types of dump trucks, each of them designed for their specific use. Some of the types are standard dump truck, Semi-trailer end dump truck, transfer dump truck, truck and pup, Super dump truck, Semi-trailer bottom dump truck, Double and Triple trailer bottom dump truck, Side dump truck, Winter Service vehicles, Roll Off dump trucks, Off Highway Dump trucks, Haul dump trucks and Articulated hauler.

Construction projects are one of the most common uses for dump trucks. These trucks can fulfill a number of functions at a construction site, including hauling in the building materials then hauling out any torn down parts. A dump truck's deep bed makes it a natural transporter for materials for projects like gardening or redecorating. Heavy bags of soils and large furniture like sofas or mattresses are easily moved from vendor to buyer with a dump truck, and a rented dump truck with professional driver can be a clever solution if you have a large haul and aren't sure how to get it where it needs to go. If you're moving, there may be tons of items and materials you need to get out of the house before leaving. Stacks of boxes in the attic that you don't want to take with you, old bedroom furniture that is too worn out to continue using, or old gardening materials like mulch and gravel that you no longer need can be thrown into a rented dump truck and driven off to the local dump.

 

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A mail truck, post truck, mail van, post van or mail lorry is a type of delivery vehicle that is used to distribute for posting the mail.

Mail delivery was not exempt from the Department’s modernization plans. Just as massive increases in mail volume demanded changes in how it was processed and sorted, it also brought to light the need to help letter carriers deliver all that mail. Historically, improvements in mail transportation had been focused on moving mail between cities or post offices. With carriers burdened down as never before with their daily deliveries, getting mail to people’s homes had to be examined for changes and upgrades. The Post Office Department stated that “If the public is to get fast, dependable mail service, every method of transportation must be used in its proper sphere and adapted to changing times and to our great population growth.” The Department thus looked into various modes of transportation for moving the mail, such as three-wheeled scooters for delivery, and helicopters, and even missiles, for moving mail from place to place.

 

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Water trucks are a vital part of mining and construction operations. Dust control, compaction, even fire prevention are among the uses of these powerful machines. Water trucks are different from regular trucks in that they have special tank specifications, custom chassis design and mounting apparatuses, and associated pumping equipment.

Water trucks come in a range of sizes and designs, with larger trucks able to haul as much as 36,000L. Some are even specially designed for mining applications and come with off-road tyres, safety equipment and are reinforced for stability over rugged terrain.

The spraying and filling capabilities also vary from truck to truck, depending on the purpose. For starters, filler pipes are typically mounted on the truck’s near side or via an opening on top of the tank. As for spaying capabilities, spray nozzles can be situated on the front, side and/or rear of the truck, and are typically controlled from inside the driver’s cab. There are also drip bars, hose reels, water cannons and more.

 

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Basically, a garbage truck is a machine that making our waste squeeze and minimize the space that trash take.

A garbage truck that aims to reduce the size of your waste on landfills works easily. The garbage thrown into the garbage compactor is divided into small and collectible pieces with a metal mallet, then these garbage pieces are collected in groups in a bag or compacted.

Garbage trucks produced for the purpose of cleaning neighborhoods, streets, and cities are used by garbage disposal workers to clean the places we live in. The garbage collected by the sanitation engineers is loaded into the back of the garbage truck or the garbage containers are transported by the garbage machines and dumped into the back chamber of the garbage truck.

Later, the garbage loaded into the rear chamber of the truck is pushed to the middle part of the garbage truck by hydraulic cylinders. The press assembly at the rear of the truck shreds or compresses the waste. Later, when the garbage truck is full, the garbage collectors take it to waste collection centers. During unloading, the rear of the truck lifts up and the garbage is discharged from the rear chamber of the truck, accompanied by a hydraulic cylinder.

 

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A tow truck (also called a wrecker, a breakdown truck, recovery vehicle or a breakdown lorry) is a truck used to move disabled, improperly parked, impounded, or otherwise indisposed motor vehicles. This may involve recovering a vehicle damaged in an accident, returning one to a drivable surface in a mishap or inclement weather, or towing or transporting one via flatbed to a repair shop or other location.

Tow trucks are vehicles specially designed to take other cars or vehicles and bring them to another location. They are usually operated by private businesses or emergency services, depending on their intended use. Tow trucks can be used in accident recovery or vehicle repossession. Oversized tow trucks are typically used to haul several cars for transport or move even bigger vehicles such as aircraft and fire trucks.A tow truck works depending on the style of truck and their purpose. For emergency services, a tow truck could either be a flat-bed, wheel-lift, or a hook-and-chain truck.

The flatbed trucks are as the name implies: they are equipped with a large, flat surface on the back. Flat bed tow trucks have a pulley system that attaches underneath the front or back of the car. The bed would be angled down to form what looks like a ramp. As the tow truck driver actuates the pulley, the car is drawn onto the flat bed. The driver levels the bed out and secures the vehicle by the wheels onto the truck.

For the hook-and-chain tow truck, a boom is attached to the back of the tower's vehicle. A chain with a hook at the end hangs from the boom. The tower can adjust the boom and the chain as needed. The chains and/or hook would be attached to the vehicle's axle. The boom would lift the vehicle up and place the front wheels onto a rubberized area on the back of the truck, while the back wheels are free on the road.

Wheel-lift trucks are often used in repossessions because of their compactness and have less ability to damage a car. Wheel-lift tow trucks have a deployable attachment called a yoke on the back that touches only the wheels of the towed car. When activated, the yoke can be positioned under the front or rear wheels. The truck lifts the front or back of the car off the ground.

 

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Hop on, pedal, and zoom away! When you push your foot down on a bike pedal, the pedal turns a large front sprocket. The sprocket is a wheel with teeth sticking out of it. The teeth fit into, or “mesh,” with the bike chain. The sprocket is called the chainwheel because it “drives” the chain. The chain moves a smaller sprocket on the back wheel. Every time you push on the pedal, the back wheel moves around two or three times.

The larger the sprocket, the lower the gear. The smaller the sprocket, the higher the gear. A low gear makes it easier to pedal. It is used for pedaling uphill or against the wind.

Some bikes have many gears. A high gear lets you pedal slowly but move the bike a long way.

Imagine pedaling a bike while you sit in a chair with your legs straight out in front of you. This is how you ride a recumbent bike. Some recumbent bikes have no handlebars. You steer with levers beneath the seat.

Unicycle

Uni means “one”. A unicycle has only one wheel. It takes great balance to ride a unicycle. You need to keep yourself steady, seated above the wheel. But you also need to steer using the pedals and leaning your body slightly to the left or right.

 

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Forklifts use a combination of hydraulics, a pulley system and other things to lift heavy materials across different distances. They are commonly used in warehouses, construction sites and other places that need to transport lots of heavy materials. We know where it’s used, but how does a forklift work? To answer that, we put together this guide to break down what a forklift is used for, its different parts and how it works.

Since the invention of the first “forklift” (which was originally called a truck tractor) about 100 years ago, forklifts have become a nearly universal sight in most materials handling workplaces. These amazing machines harness the power of physics to lift heavy loads to impossible heights, sometimes several stories above the height of the forklift itself, and most modern lift trucks accomplish this feat with little physical effort and minimal risk to the operator.

New developments in efficient power usage, operator safety, and sophisticated stability controls allow leaner machines to accomplish meaner tasks. At this point, the cost, efficiency, and safety of most standard forklifts make them an indispensable business resource. In fact, if your business depends on heavy manual tasks like loading, unloading, and pallet lifting, your forklift investment may pay for itself several times over.

 

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A conveyor belt works by using two motorized pulleys that loop over a long stretch of thick, durable material. When motors in the pulleys operate at the same speed and spin in the same direction, the belt moves between the two.

If objects are particularly heavy or bulky — or if the conveyor belt is carrying them for a long distance or duration — rollers may be placed on the sides of the conveyor belt for support. Rollers keep objects in place and keep the belt from sagging.

As a rotor turns, the conveyor belt will turn as well due to the intense friction between the rotor wheel and the belt. This turning motion of the rotor causes one side of the belt to move in one direction, while the other moves in the opposite direction. This means that both wheels must always be moving in relatively the same direction, either clockwise or counter-clockwise. If the two rotor wheels moved in opposite directions, the conveyor belt would not travel at all.

 

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Scientifically, elevators are all about energy. To get from the ground to the 18th floor walking up stairs you have to move the weight of your body against the downward-pulling force of gravity. The energy you expend in the process is (mostly) converted into potential energy, so climbing stairs gives an increase in your potential energy (going up) or a decrease in your potential energy (going down). This is an example of the law of conservation of energy in action. You really do have more potential energy at the top of a building than at the bottom, even if it doesn't feel any different.

To a scientist, an elevator is simply a device that increases or decreases a person's potential energy without them needing to supply that energy themselves: the elevator gives you potential energy when you're going up and it takes potential energy from you when you're coming down. In theory, that sounds easy enough: the elevator won't need to use much energy at all because it will always be getting back as much (when it goes down) as it gives out (when it goes up). Unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. If all the elevator had were a simple hoist with a cage passing over a pulley, it would use considerable amounts of energy lifting people up but it would have no way of getting that energy back: the energy would simply be lost to friction in the cables and brakes (disappearing into the air as waste heat) when the people came back down.

 

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Moving containers give you the option of hiring out help for a big part of the moving process (the driving part) without having to go all in on a full-service moving company.

It’s a bit like wrapping all your belongings in one huge Christmas present and having Santa deliver it to your new home. You can hire people to wrap and unwrap it for you (think Santa’s elves) or you can do it yourself and save a few bucks. And if you have a lot of stuff, you may have more than one “present.”

A moving container company will bring as many containers to your home as needed. You simply load your belongings into the moving container and then sit back while the company transports everything to your new address. When your container arrives, you unload your stuff, and the company returns to pick it up.

If timing is an issue, most container companies will store your moving container at a warehouse until you’re ready to unpack into your new home.

 

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