Right now our racecar is driven by a band which connects the motor’s blue wheel to the blue wheel on the axle.
You can also use gears to do this. In fact, real cars have a box full of gears called a transmission. Let’s modify our racecar. Follow these step-by-step instructions.
Using 2 medium gears, try the same experiments we did before. Does the car move farther or less with the same number of seconds?
Power
Seconds
How Far?
8
2
_______
4
2
_______
4
6
_______
Now try experimenting with different sized gears on both the wheel and the motor. Which combination moves the car the farthest with the same program? Which combination moves the car the fastest? Use a chart like this:
