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hassan
The History of Cars
Background Information for Teachers
Our World is a Car World
Try to imagine our world without cars. Of course not every person in the world
owns or even needs a car to live their lives. However, in North America our
quality of life is often defined by the power and style of our vehicles. It is
important to us that our cars take us to where we need to be and to where we
want to go. They get us to work and take us out to the movies. Today, we’d be
hard pressed to get our groceries, let alone go on vacation without the vehicles
that we drive or even the public transportation that we use. Some of us even
drive our cars for pure enjoyment.
The Wheel
The invention of the wheel paved the way for transportation as
we know it today. Historians don’t know exactly who invented
the wheel, but the oldest wheel discovered so far is believed to
be over 5,500 years old.
The development of the wheel began when humans sought easier methods for
moving large objects. It was recognized that round objects, such as a log, could
be placed under something heavy to push it along with less force.
Next humans began using a sledge. A sledge is essentially what today we would
call a sled. A sledge worked well over smooth ground or with logs placed under it
as it was pulled along. Eventually the sledge wore grooves in the log rollers. The
grooved rollers worked better since there was less friction between the sledge
and the rollers, so less energy was needed to drag the sledge.
It wasn’t long before humans cut away the wood between the two inner grooves
created by the sledge. The wood left between the grooves became the axle.
These were the first carts. Next, axles were designed to fit through holes in the
center of each wheel. Finally, axles were designed not to move themselves, but
rather to have the wheel rotate on the axle.
The ancient Egyptians, Indians, Greeks and Romans continued
to improve the design of the wheel, adding spokes and creating
a variety of wheels for different sorts of vehicles including
chariots for war, hunting, and racing, two-wheeled farm
carts, covered carriages, heavy four-wheeled freight wagons
and passenger coaches
Background Information for Teachers
Our World is a Car World
Try to imagine our world without cars. Of course not every person in the world
owns or even needs a car to live their lives. However, in North America our
quality of life is often defined by the power and style of our vehicles. It is
important to us that our cars take us to where we need to be and to where we
want to go. They get us to work and take us out to the movies. Today, we’d be
hard pressed to get our groceries, let alone go on vacation without the vehicles
that we drive or even the public transportation that we use. Some of us even
drive our cars for pure enjoyment.
The Wheel
The invention of the wheel paved the way for transportation as
we know it today. Historians don’t know exactly who invented
the wheel, but the oldest wheel discovered so far is believed to
be over 5,500 years old.
The development of the wheel began when humans sought easier methods for
moving large objects. It was recognized that round objects, such as a log, could
be placed under something heavy to push it along with less force.
Next humans began using a sledge. A sledge is essentially what today we would
call a sled. A sledge worked well over smooth ground or with logs placed under it
as it was pulled along. Eventually the sledge wore grooves in the log rollers. The
grooved rollers worked better since there was less friction between the sledge
and the rollers, so less energy was needed to drag the sledge.
It wasn’t long before humans cut away the wood between the two inner grooves
created by the sledge. The wood left between the grooves became the axle.
These were the first carts. Next, axles were designed to fit through holes in the
center of each wheel. Finally, axles were designed not to move themselves, but
rather to have the wheel rotate on the axle.
The ancient Egyptians, Indians, Greeks and Romans continued
to improve the design of the wheel, adding spokes and creating
a variety of wheels for different sorts of vehicles including
chariots for war, hunting, and racing, two-wheeled farm
carts, covered carriages, heavy four-wheeled freight wagons
and passenger coaches
