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Revolutionary Wheel, science essay by Ollung Paron
Shortlisted essay on invention of wheel from Khula Aasmaan children's essay competition
Essay by Ollung Paron, class 7, Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya, Vivek Vihar, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh
This essay is part of the shortlist from Khula Aasmaan children's essay competition. This essay competition for children was organised on the occasion of Science Day 2019 by Khula Aasmaan and Science Park, Pune
The wheel is one of the earliest inventions in the history of mankind. A wheel can be described as a device that rotates about its axis, and is used for carrying loads from one place to another and performing tasks in various machines. It is widely used for road transport, air transport, water transport, as well as in factories. Many people consider as the most important Mechanical invention of all time. This is simply because we cannot even think of a world without the wheel.
Creation of the wheel
Archaeological evidence Suggests that the invention of the wheel took place in Mesopotamia, in the middle east, during the period between the fifth and the third millennium BCE. However, it is still a mystery as to who actually made the first wheel. It is interesting to note that the first wheel ever made was not used for any kind of transportation. Rater, it was used by potters to Spin day for making vessels and other useful goods. The vessels were then used for storing food and water. So we can say that the first ever wheels were used for manufacturing purpose, and not for transportation. The first wooden wheel in the world was found in Slovenia. According to Austrian experts, it is more than 5000 years old, thus making it the oldest wooden wheel. During the same excavation, they have also found an axle and a wooden canoe.
Mesopotamians started using the wheel for transferring goods at a much later period, between 3700 and 3200 BCE. They were used in their chariots and wagons, where four wheels and two axles were included. The Egyptians improvised the wheel further and made spokes in them. These wheels were used in Egyptian chariots around 2000 Bc. During this time, the wheel made its way into Europe where the Greeks Put their own ideas to improve the Egyptians wheel. In ancient Indian civilizations, wheels with spokes were used in chariots in and around 1500 BC. During the Roman Empire, the Romans started making a large variety of wheels for various purposes. They used different types of wheel for chariots, two-wheeled carts to be used in forms, hearty freight wagons, passenger coaches, and so on.
How was the wheel Made?
The earliest forms of wheels were either made of stone or wood. Circular stones or the trunks of tree were used as rollers for moving heavy objects from one place to another. Then people started placing runners below the heavy object and started dragging it like a sledge. Then they came up with the idea of combining the sledge and the roller while pulling objects with arrangement, it was observed that hollows were formed on the rollers where the runners came in contact with the rollers. This enable the sledge to cover larger distances. So the rollers were then changed into wheels by cutting out the wood in between the two grouse of the rollers. In this way, an axle- like structure was created. Special wooden pegs were used on both sides to keep the runners fastened to the axles. Thus, as the wheel turned, the axle could also turn with it. This was how the first hand cart was made. Later, it was further improved, where in the axle and the wheel was being made Separately, and the axle was driven through the frame of the cart. Thus, you can see that the credit for the wheel�s creation Carrot be given to any particular culture Each of the early civilizations have made their own contribution towards the advancement of the wheel. However, the development of the Spoked wheel is a remarkable achievement, as it helped.
The wheel was a great prehistoric invention. Early men used the wheel to move heavy objects, as a means of transport and for pottery. People even today make great use of this in venation.
The invention of the wheel brought about new ways of doing things. This made work easier and inspired even more new ideas for inventions.
The invention of wheel changed the life of early man in the following ways :
1) It was used to carry goods from one place to another.
2) It was used to move from one place to another.
3) It was used to make carts like sledges and rafts.
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