Wheels

Wheels

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Working with Students
Further Resources
This task is about how wheels work.
These pictures show four stages in the development of the wheel over time.
wheels-A.png
Wooden-spoked wheel
Wheels-B.png
Wooden disc wheel 
Wheels-C.png
 Wooden wheel with iron rim
Wheels-D.png
Metal-spoked wheel 

Question

a)  Which of these wheels would have been developed first?

    • wheels-A.png
      Wooden-spoked wheel

    • Wheels-B.png
      Wooden disc wheel

    • Wheels-C.png
      Wooden wheel with iron rim

    • Wheels-D.png
      Metal-spoked wheel

Question 2Change answer

b)  Give one reason why spoked wheels are better than the wooden disc wheel.
     

Question 1Change answer

Wheels-C.pngWooden wheel with iron rim
c)  Why is an iron rim put around the wooden-spoked wheel?
     

Question 1Change answer

d) Old cars had solid rubber tyres. Modern cars have air-filled rubber tyres. 
i) What is an advantage of air-filled tyres? ii) What is a disadvantage of air-filled tyres?
  
 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online (with SOME auto marking).
Level:
3
Curriculum info: 
Science, Knowledge, Physical World
Keywords: 
physics concepts, friction, wheels, sequencing
Description of task: 
Task: Order wheels according to technological development, then answer questions about advantages and disadvantages of different wheels. Assessment focus: how wheels work.
Answers/responses: 
   Y6 (11/04)
a) Wheels-B.png very easy
b) It is lighter/needs less material difficult
c) It wears better/is less likely to break moderate
d) i) The air-filled tyre absorbs more bumps/gives a smoother ride.
ii) Can puncture/must keep inflated		 difficult
very easy
Diagnostic and formative information: 

Sometimes when technology is the context for science units, the technology can become the focus rather than the science ideas. The two questions that students found difficult, b) and d) ii), provide good starting points for science investigations. A relevant science exploration at this level could be how friction affects movement. Air pressure could also be investigated. There are also close links to the Material World strand, for example looking at the properties of materials that wheels are made from, and also the properties of air.

Next steps
Some possible investigations could be:

  • comparing heavy solid wheels and light spoked wheels in a variety of conditions;
  • comparing riding with solid tyres and pneumatic tyres;
  • comparing tyres that are pumped up hard with tyres that are "soft" in a variety of conditions;
  • comparing different tyre treads (including bald tyres) in a variety of conditions;

If the class is collecting comparative data, students could debate the pros and cons of different wheels/ tyres for particular conditions.

  • Ministry of Education (2004). Building Science Concepts Book 59, Bikes. Wellington: Learning Media.
  • Ministry of Education (1999). Making better sense of the physical world. Wellington: Learning Media. Refer to the section on force and motion.
  • Ministry of Education (2003). Building Science Concepts Book 30, The air around us. Wellington: Learning Media.