Skip to content
PlayOwl

Explore · Wonder · Discover

How Things Work

Ever wondered how airplanes fly, why popcorn pops or how your heart pumps? Pick a question, then watch it, look inside, try it, solve a challenge and go deeper. Every topic changes for Preschool, Elementary and Middle school.

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

500 topics to explore · showing 145–168

Every topic

#145 Everyday machines How does a hair dryer work? Trace air past a heating element and compare airflow, temperature, and drying. #146 Everyday machines How does a toaster brown bread? Watch heating elements warm bread and control browning with a virtual timer. #147 Everyday machines How does an iron remove wrinkles? Explore how heat, moisture, and pressure change the arrangement of fabric fibers. #148 Everyday machines How does a pressure cooker cook food? Watch pressure, temperature, and the valve in a simplified sealed-pot simulation. #149 Everyday machines How does an electric kettle switch itself off? Follow steam to a switching mechanism and watch the heating circuit disconnect. #150 Everyday objects How does a trigger spray bottle work? Pull the trigger and follow liquid through a pump, valves, and nozzle. #151 Everyday objects How do foaming soap dispensers make foam? Watch liquid soap and air combine and pass through a fine mesh. #152 Everyday objects How does a click pen extend and retract? Inspect the spring and rotating mechanism inside a transparent retractable pen. #153 Everyday objects How does a mechanical pencil advance its graphite? Press the button and watch tiny gripping parts move and hold the graphite. #154 Everyday objects How does a stapler join sheets of paper? Follow a staple as it pierces paper and bends against the stapler's base. #155 Everyday objects How does a can opener cut around a lid? Trace the gripping and cutting wheels as they travel around a virtual can. #156 Everyday objects How does an umbrella open and fold? Move the runner and watch linked supports spread or collapse the canopy. #157 Everyday objects How do window blinds raise, lower, and tilt? Operate controls and trace how their mechanisms move the slats together. #158 Buildings & city systems How do door closers shut doors gently? Adjust spring tension and damping to control a model door's return. #159 Everyday objects How does a drinking straw lift liquid? Change pressure inside a straw and observe surrounding air pressure pushing liquid upward. #160 Everyday objects How do hook-and-loop fasteners stick together? Zoom into hooks and loops, then compare peeling with pulling sideways. #161 Everyday objects How do knots hold ropes and shoelaces together? Tie virtual strands and explore how loops, tension, and friction affect holding. #162 Everyday machines How does an electric toothbrush move its head? Follow motor movement into rotating or vibrating brush mechanisms. #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.

Topics by category