Wheels help objects move — Design, 4–6 years
A wheel changes a hard sliding movement into a rolling movement. Rolling usually needs less effort, especially when carrying something heavy.
Rolling can be easier than sliding
A wheel turns while it travels, so only a small part touches the ground at once. This lets a box, toy or bag move along instead of scraping across the floor.
Why make wheels?
Before wheels, people had to drag or carry heavy things. A round wheel solved part of that problem by letting loads roll, so one person could move something that was too heavy to lift alone.
Move a box two ways
Put three books in a box. First drag it one metre across the floor. Then place the box on a small wheeled board and push it the same distance. Both moves work, but the rolling box usually needs less force.
The wheel trap
It is reasonable to think that any wheel makes moving easy. But a wheel that is too small, loose or blocked may roll badly, and wheels do not help much on a very soft or bumpy surface.
Wheels all around us
Wheels appear on bicycles, pushchairs, suitcases, shopping trolleys and many machines. They are useful when something needs to travel along the ground, but not when the object must stay firmly in one place.
Keep exploring
Other languages
Loading MyLeoNes™…