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11 topics · Preschool to Grade 8

How tools work

How do scissors cut, and why does a longer wrench make a tight bolt easier to turn? These topics open the toolbox. Children see how scissors and pliers use levers, how a hammer drives a nail and a rivet holds two pieces together, and how clamps hold work still. Power tools are explained clearly and safely: how an electric drill spins its bit, how saws and power sanders cut and smooth wood, and how an air compressor stores air under pressure. Each topic has an animated explanation, a look inside, a simulation to try and a challenge, with text for preschool, elementary and middle school. Real tools stay with grown-ups.

  1. 1Watch it
  2. 2Look inside
  3. 3Try it
  4. 4Solve a challenge
  5. 5Go deeper

11 topics in Tools & workshop

Tools & workshop

#163 Tools & workshop How do scissors cut through materials? Explore how two blades and a pivot create a controlled cutting action. #164 Tools & workshop How do pliers grip objects firmly? Change handle length and gripping position while comparing the force at the jaws. #165 Tools & workshop How does an adjustable wrench fit different nuts? Turn its adjustment mechanism and compare turning effort with different handle lengths. #166 Tools & workshop How does an electric drill make holes? Explore the chuck, drive mechanism, and different drill-bit shapes on simulated materials. #167 Tools & workshop How does a saw cut wood? Watch enlarged teeth remove small pieces as the blade moves. #168 Tools & workshop How does a power sander smooth surfaces? Compare abrasive sizes and sanding motions on a rough virtual surface. #169 Tools & workshop How do clamps hold pieces tightly together? Tighten a clamp and trace how its mechanism maintains squeezing force. #170 Tools & workshop How does a hammer drive a nail? Change hammer mass and speed and compare the impact on a model nail. #171 Tools & workshop How does a rivet fasten sheets together? Set a virtual rivet and watch its end deform to grip the sheets. #172 Tools & workshop How do wire strippers remove insulation? Match virtual wire sizes to openings and separate insulation without cutting the conductor. #181 Tools & workshop How does an air compressor store compressed air? Watch a piston draw in air and push it into a storage tank.

Keep exploring

Games to play

  • Machine RepairFix levers, pulleys, gears and ramps so every contraption works.
  • Bridge LabBuild a bridge from beams, brace it with triangles, and stay on budget.

Guide for grown-ups

Science games by grade

Science worksheets by grade