Like hand tools, power tools are based on the six simple machines that provide mechanical advantage and increase our ability to do work. Hand tools, however, are limited by the strength of the person who uses them. Power tools are not. Power tools are equipped with motors or engines that substitute for human strength and usually exceed it. They are also faster, doing a job much more quickly than a human worker can.
Early in their history, power tools played a key role in the development of manufacturing as we know it today. Work done using hand tools was often imprecise. Accuracy depended entirely on the skill and thoroughness of the worker. Even products made by the same worker could differ in size or shape from day to day. With large power tools, especially milling machines, saws, and drill presses, accuracy could be determined by machine settings. A product made on Tuesday would be the same as one made on Thursday. It became possible to manufacture identical, interchangeable parts. This in turn led to mass production using assembly lines, in which large numbers of the same product can be made quickly and inexpensively.
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For this WebQuest, your job is to investigate fascinating facts about power tools. To demonstrate what you have learned, you will answer the questions included here. You will also complete one of the activities described at the end of this WebQuest.
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Read through the following questions. Then research the Internet resources that are provided for you. As you explore the sites, look for answers to the questions. Keep a record of any sites where you find answers by noting the title and URL (Internet address). For example:
(title) Technology Student Association
(URL) www.tsaweb.org
- What did a sewing machine have to do with the first jigsaw?
- What did sugar have to do with the first portable power saw?
- When and in which country was the first electric hand drill invented? What did Black & Decker add to the drill in 1916?
- Which power source was first used for the lathe? What type of power was used following the use of the steam engine?
- What is Simeon North famous for?
- Safety is extremely important when using nail guns. At what speed does a nail travel as it leaves a nail gun?
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Visit the Web sites listed here to find information that will enable you to answer the questions. You may use additional sites if you wish. Be sure to keep a record of any sites you use.
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Several activities are described below. Complete one of these activities (your choice) to demonstrate the understandings you've gained by going on this WebQuest.
- Suggest at least three items that could join the long list of tools and other devices that have been automated, such as the toothbrush. Select one of the items and make a drawing showing how it could be powered. Indicate on the drawing the advantages power would provide.
- Choose a portable power tool and make a presentation about it to the class. Include what the tool is used for, how to use it safely, and why it looks the way it does. Is its appearance related to its function?
- Information found on the Internet can be contradictory or unreliable. For example, some sites claim that Arthur James Arnot invented the first electric drill. Other sites claim it was Wilhelm Fein. Did both men invent it simultaneously or was one actually first? If so, why does there seem to be some confusion? Investigate this problem, analyze it, and write a report presenting your conclusions. Be sure to cite all the sources you checked. You may also use printed sources if you wish.
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