Year 6 - Design and technology
Cams in a product
Cams: automata
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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 develops pupils' knowledge of mechanisms through cams. Pupils will develop knowledge of the properties of wood and apply this by selecting suitable materials for functionality. Knowledge of wood construction and joining techniques are introduced and applied through making an automaton.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify how cams work in an automata.
Key Notes
- Simple cams can create complicated movements.
- Existing products can inspire future automata.
- Card prototypes can create simple automata.
Vocabulary To Learn
- automaton: a mechanical toy that uses a cam mechanism to animate a character or scene - plural-automata
- cam: a shaped disc attached to an axle
- follower: a bar that follows the movement of the cam disc
- slide: a device that holds the follower in position
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- All automata create the same up and down linear output.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Simple cams can create complicated movements. Existing products can inspire future automata.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'automaton'
a mechanical toy that uses a cam mechanism to animate a character or scene - plural-automata.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: All automata create the same up and down linear output. Correction: The position of the follower and the size, shape and number of cams can create a range of movements.
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