A Wonderleaf question
How does a car engine make a car move?
a real page from the book
A car engine moves a car by turning fuel into spinning motion. Air and gasoline burn inside cylinders, pushing pistons down. Those pistons turn a crankshaft, gears pass the turning force along, and the wheels press against the road so the car rolls forward.
The delightful part is the timing. Each burst must happen at just the right moment, again and again, so separate pushes become a smooth drive. Pressing the pedal asks for more fuel and air, which makes the engine spin faster and sends more turning force to the wheels.
Wonder words
- piston
- cylinder
- crankshaft
- friction
Try it out
Pedal a bike slowly, then faster, and notice how repeated pushes become smooth spinning at the wheel.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- How does Velcro stick and unstick?
- How does a ballpoint pen draw ink?
- How does a pencil write?
- How does a lock and key work?
And the next question?
Ask anything — Wonderleaf writes and illustrates a picture book for it. That's the whole idea.
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