Science – forces, levers, pulleys and gears a strand of physics
One of the Science topics in Year 6 is forces, including levers, pulleys and gears. The children find this a fascinating topic, as it involves many practical investigations, which teach them how to plan and conduct accurate tests.
Earlier in the year, the children made parachutes to investigate the force of air resistance. They dropped different sized parachutes from a set height, carefully measuring the time each took to fall to the ground. They then used their maths skills to calculate the average drop time. In later investigations, they dragged a shoe across different surfaces, to measure the force needed to make it move, using a force meter. This proved which materials created the greatest amounts of friction.
In Spring, the children moved on to looking at some of the world’s most simple yet important inventions - levers, pulleys and gears. These mechanisms are designed to transfer forces in different ways to make our lives easier. Year 6 made mechanisms to lift weighs; they then used a force meter to record how the inventions reduced the effort needed.
The results from these investigations showed the children why levers, pulleys and gears are so prevalent in our every day lives. In the Summer term, the children will apply much of this learning in their Design and Technology work, when they construct fairground rides operated by pulleys or gears.
