Basic principles of mechanics: a visual aid

Mechanics is a large and very important subdiscipline of physics. Its aim is to help us understand and explore the basics and the key principles of mechanisms assembly. It also explains the way in which each part of these mechanisms interacts with another while in movement. UGears 3D puzzles are a perfect visual aid for demonstrating the basic laws of mechanics and are is suitable for both home and classroom environments.

What do UGears puzzles have to do with mechanics?

Each UGears set is a complex mechanism that consists of more than 500 individual parts that are made out of natural wood. The assembly process itself teaches the child an understanding of the basic principles of assembling mechanisms. The most important thing, though, is the mechanical movement sensation. It is a unique feature of every UGears set, as the movement appears seemingly out of nowhere, with no electricity or electric motors. Simply raise the rubber drive hidden inside to bring the model to life!

Let’s take the V-Express Steam Train with Tender model, for example. It is an exquisite locomotive that features a classic design, but among its best features is, perhaps, the sight of it when it rushes along the tracks! Also, note the wheels: all the hinges and levers are working in the exact same way as they would be doing on a real locomotive. The best thing is that this movement is fuelled by the energy that the person playing with the locomotive generates using the rubber drive.

This is a perfect hands-on demonstration of one of the fundamental laws of mechanics as well as the conservation of energy law:

– As the rubber drive accumulates energy, we can say that it has a certain potential at the moment when the rubber drive is being raised;

– To start the locomotive, a child or an adult has to spend the energy to create this potential. Moreover, the amount of energy expended will be proportionate to the potential that has appeared;

– The last step is the release of the energy accumulated by the rubber drive by releasing the trigger.

What is interesting is that the time of the engine work is proportionate to the amount of energy you spend! Turn the key once and the locomotive will move forward only for a little bit, but if you turn it to the full, the engine will be able to move for a few meters without stopping.

Which models demonstrate the basic principles of mechanics the best?

Some 3D models by UGears embody all the charm of mechanics particularly well. The UGears Mechanical Theater is a good example of a set like that, with its many intricate gears and tiny actor figurines that are dancing inside the model. Another interesting set is the Pneumatic Engine, which demonstrates the direct and inverse relationship between energy flows. To sum it up, we would like to mention that every 3D puzzle is worth your attention, and we invite you to have a closer look at them in our online catalog.