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Practice

In the last section, you learned about how gears and gear trains can be used to create a mechanical advantage in order to increase speed or torque. Now, you are going to apply what you have learned with the Comparing Gear Trains practice activity.

In this activity, you will see how far multiple IQ Bins can be pulled in five seconds, based on the mechanical advantage created by the configuration of gears in your gear train.

Watch the video below to see how you can apply what you have learned to complete the Comparing Gear Trains practice activity.

 

Now it's your turn to complete the Comparing Gear Trains practice activity!

Follow the steps in this document to complete this activity. Google Drive / .docx / .pdf

BaseBot on the Field at the start of the Activity, with the rope attached to a stack of 2 IQ Kit bins. The gear train and rope attachment on the robot are highlighted.

As you complete the Comparing Gear Trains practice activity, document your results in your engineering notebook.

View this image for an example of how you can record your results.

Notebook page with a table in it to chart Gear Train and Distance pulled. The first row reads 1:1 with a sketch of a 24T gear train; the second row reads 3:1 with a sketch of a 36T to 12T gear train; and the third row reads 1:3 with a sketch of a 12T to 36T gear train.

Prepare for the Challenge

In Compete (on the next page), you will choose a gear configuration and your rope attachment placement, then compete to pull IQ Bins the farthest with your BaseBot. Learn how to compete in the Gear Train Tractor Pull Challenge, check your understanding, then practice for the challenge.

In the following video, the BaseBot with a gear train is attached to two IQ Kits with a rope. When the project is started, the robot pulls the Kits forward for one Tile length.

Follow the steps in this document to learn more about how to complete this challenge. 
Google Doc / .docx /.pdf
 

Video file

Check Your Understanding

Before beginning the challenge, ensure that you understand the rules and set up by answering the questions in the document below in your engineering notebook. 

Check Your Understanding questions Google Doc / .docx / .pdf

After completing the questions, practice for the challenge.


Select Next > to compete in the Gear Train Tractor Pull Challenge.