Year 3 - Design and technology
Exploring pneumatic systems
Pneumatics: moving toys
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit introduces pupils to creating movement with air using pneumatic mechanisms. They will then apply this knowledge to develop a moving toy.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to explain how pneumatic systems work.
Key Notes
- The air inside the bottle forces air into the balloon which expands.
- Air inside one syringe is forced through the plastic tubing into the other syringe, which is forced to open.
- If one syringe is a different size to the other, the amount of air in the syringes affects the movement.
Vocabulary To Learn
- pneumatic system: a mechanism that uses moving air to make things happen
- input: something put into a system
- output: something that comes out of a system
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Air can only be directed to one place (output).
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
The air inside the bottle forces air into the balloon which expands. Air inside one syringe is forced through the plastic tubing into the other syringe, which is forced to open.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'pneumatic system'
a mechanism that uses moving air to make things happen.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Air can only be directed to one place (output). Correction: One input can affect multiple outputs by splitting the flow or direction of the air.
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