An axle and wheel machine combines a circular disc and a cylindrical rod. The disc covers the rod from the outside. The force or effort applied to the wheel/axle can cause the load to deform or move from its original position depending on how it is constructed. The wheel and simple axle machine is a type lever in which the axle acts as the balance point or fulcrum. Around 3500 B.C., the Mesopotamian people introduced the first wheel and simple axle machines.
Different Types of Wheels and Axle Machine
Based on where the force is applied, the wheel and axle machine can be divided into the following two broad categories:
Machines that apply force to the axle are where the effort or force is applied to an axle to cause the wheel to turn rapidly. The axle’s motion is transferred to the wheel. This wheel and axle are used in real-life applications such as bicycles, Ferris wheels, and others.
Machines that apply force to the wheel
These machines use force to cause the wheel to turn. The wheel creates pressure on the axle to initiate the motion of the simple machine. Examples of such machines are the pizza cutter, windmill, and drill machine.
Examples for Wheel and Axle Machine
Bicycle
The bicycle is composed of an axle and a wheel that allows it to move forward. The axle is the pivot that initiates motion and causes the wheel to turn.
Car Tires
An axle allows a car’s tires to move forward or turn on either side. The wheels will move or turn under the force exerted by the engine.
Ferris Wheel
You have probably seen a Ferris wheel at an amusement park. It is a huge wheel that turns in a circular motion. The cylindrical rod that forms the centre of the Ferris wheel, the axle, is the cylindrical rod. The Ferris wheel rotates because the axle is subject to high-magnitude electrical force.
Electric fan
A hub is used to attach the fan’s blades and wings. An electric circuit connects the hub to an electric motor. The motor generates a force that helps the fan’s blades turn. The hub of the fan is the axle, and the blades are the wheels. An electric fan is an example of a simple wheel-and-axle machine.
Analog Clock
Another example of a wheel-and-axle simple machine is the analogue clock. Attached to the cylindrical pin at its centre are an analogue clock’s minute, hour, and second hands. The cylindrical pin acts as an axle, and the hands of a clock are the wheels. When the cylindrical pin is pushed against it, the hands rotate. An analogue clock is one example of a simple wheel-and-axle machine.
Windmill
A windmill is made up of rotary blades attached to the pole’s top. The pole’s top acts as the centre point or the axle. The windmill is a well-known example of a wheel and axle machine because of the force exerted upon the axle by the blades moving at high speeds.
Pizza Cutter
A pizza cutter is made up of a rotating cutter wheel. An axle pin attaches a handle to the centre of the cutter. The wheel tends to move when the force is applied, creating pressure on its axle. A pizza cutter is an example of a simple wheel-and-axle machine.
Drill
Attached to the spindle of a drill machine is a metal drill bit. The internal circuitry of a drill press exerts a force on the spindle or axle that causes it to turn. You can also use the bit’s rotation to make grooves on rigid surfaces. A drilling machine, which is a simple wheel and axle machine, is an example of a wheel-and-axle combination that causes the wheel or axle to turn.
Door Knob
A doorknob closely matches the wheel and simple machine. The doorknob functions as the wheel, and the shaft at the centre of the knob act as the axle. The shaft or axle is pushed inwardly by the force of the knob being turned. This force allows you to retract the latch and open and close the door easily.
Water wheel
Water wheels use the energy generated by flowing water to create energy. A water wheel works similarly to a windmill. It is made up of a large wheel with an axle. The water flows through the wheel, and the paddles rotate. The wheel’s motion, or rotation, exerts a force upon the axle. This force can be further used to generate energy.