A Wonderleaf question
How does a lock and key work?
a real page from the book
A lock opens when the right key lifts small pin pairs to the exact height that clears the plug, the round part you turn. With the pins no longer crossing the break between plug and case, the plug can turn, pulling the bolt away from the door frame.
A wrong key may look close, but one notch being off leaves a pin blocking the turn. That is why two similar keys can behave so differently, and why a tiny jagged edge can be a careful code for one door.
Wonder words
- pins
- bolt
- cylinder
- notches
Try it out
Compare two house keys by touch and sight, noticing how each ridge rises and dips in a different pattern.
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