Gearbox Adventures in Model Car Engineering

What is force?

• A type of speed

• A push or pull that causes movement

• The turning of a wheel

What unit is force measured in?

•  Joules

• Watts

• Newtons

Which situation shows a force in action?

• Holding a ball still

• Pushing a toy car

• Watching a spinning fan

What is torque?

• A force that moves things in a straight line

• A force that causes objects to rotate

• The weight of an object

Which example best shows torque in action?

• Pushing a box across the floor

• Kicking a football

• Using a wrench to turn a bolt

What is the purpose of using a gearbox in machines like cars?

• To make them heavier

• To adjust speed and torque

• To reduce fuel usage

You have a motor that spins very fast but has low torque. What kind of gear ratio would you use to move a heavy object?

• Low gear ratio (1:1 or 1:2)

• High gear ratio (3:1 or 5:1)

Which gearbox allowed the car to carry more weight without slowing down too much?

• The gearbox with a lower gear ratio (faster one)

• The gearbox with a higher gear ratio (slower one)

• Both gearboxes performed the same

• The car moved better without any gearbox

This question involves an experimental observation using the model car built by your group. What happened when you used the faster gearbox and added weight to the car?

• The car moved even faster

• The car struggled or moved slowly, and it stopped if the weight was too heavy

• The weight had no effect on speed

This question involves an experimental observation using the model car built by your group. Why did the car perform better with the high gear ratio gearbox when carrying more weight?

• Because a high gear ratio makes the wheels spin faster

• Because a high gear ratio reduces the weight of the car

• Because a high gear ratio increases torque, helping the car move heavy loads

• Because high gear ratios are always better in every situation