Types of Movement and Lever Orders
The four types of motion used in mechanical devices, linear, rotary, reciprocating and oscillating, and the three lever orders set by the position of the fulcrum, load and effort.
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Motion and levers in design
Designers use mechanical devices to make things move. Movement comes in four main types, and levers help us move a load with less effort. Knowing the type of motion and the order of a lever helps you design and explain how a product works. This module looks at the four types of motion and the three lever orders.
The four types of motion
Learn these four types of motion before you study mechanical devices.
Reciprocating or oscillating?
These two are easy to mix up. Both go backwards and forwards, but along different paths.
Find the fulcrum, load and effort
To name a lever order, find three things: the fulcrum (the pivot), the load (the weight being moved), and the effort (the force you apply). A first order lever has the fulcrum in the middle, a second order lever has the load in the middle, and a third order lever has the effort in the middle. Look at the positions, do not just guess.
Match the type of motion
- linear motion
- reciprocating motion
- rotary motion
- oscillating motion
- a lift moving straight up
- a saw cutting backwards and forwards
- a wheel turning round
- a pendulum swinging in a curve
Match the lever order
- first order lever
- second order lever
- third order lever
- the fulcrum
- like a seesaw or a pair of scissors
- like a wheelbarrow or a bottle opener
- like tweezers or a fishing rod
- the point that a lever pivots around
Which motion is a wheel?
Which type of motion is a wheel turning round?
- Rotary motion.
- Linear motion.
- Reciprocating motion.
- Oscillating motion.
Spot the reciprocating examples
Select the TWO examples of reciprocating motion.
- A saw cutting wood.
- A bicycle pump.
- A wheel turning.
- A swinging pendulum.
Work out a lever order
Put the steps of working out a lever order in order, earliest first.
- Find the fulcrum, the pivot point
- Find the load, the weight being moved
- Find the effort, the force you apply
- Name the order from their positions
Identify the motion or lever
A rocket lifting off upward shows _____ motion. The spinning hands of a clock show _____ motion. The up and down blade of a jigsaw shows _____ motion. A child on a garden swing shows _____ motion. A wheelbarrow is an example of a _____ order lever.
Work out the mechanical advantage
A lever lifts a load of 300 newtons using an effort of 100 newtons. Mechanical advantage = load divided by effort. What is the mechanical advantage?
Find the rotary examples
Tap the TWO examples of rotary motion.
- A spinning wheel
- A turning fan
- A saw cutting
- A swinging pendulum
- A lift going straight up
Name the type of motion
Read each example and choose which type of motion it is.
- A clock hand going round the clock face
- A sewing machine needle going up and down
- A playground swing going backwards and forwards
Explain the four motions
Explain the four types of motion used in mechanical devices, and give one example of each type.
- Describe linear and reciprocating motion with an example
- Describe rotary and oscillating motion with an example
- Explain how the four types are different