COMPUTERSTO

RE AND PROCESS INFORMATION

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CONV

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NGPO

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INTO

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TELEPHONE

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TRANSMITTIN

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SATELLITECOMMUNICATION

Copyright © 2010 Top That! Publishing plcTide Mill Way, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1AP, UK

www.topthatpublishing.comTop That! is a trademark of Top That! Publishing plc

All rights reserved

Inventions

Washing MachinePages 4–6

IronPages 7–9

MicrowavePages 10–12

AirbagPages 13–15

Sewing MachinePages 16–18

ToasterPages 19–21

RefrigeratorPages 22–23

Petrol EnginePages 24–26

Steam EnginePages 27–29

Jet EnginePages 30–31

GearboxPages 32–34

CONTENTS

2

ComputerPages 35–37

Digital VersatileDiscsPages 38–39

TelevisionPages 40–41

TelephonePages 49–51

X-Ray MachinePages 57–59

MicrophonePages 60–61

RadioPages 44–45

CONTENTSSatellitesPages 42–43

Light BulbPages 52–53

CameraPages 54–56

CalculatorPages 46–48

3

4

It’s pretty simple to operate a modern washing machine; just place yourclothes in the front, add soap powder into the little drawer, make sure thesetting isn’t too hot (or it will shrink your favourite jumper), and press the‘on’ switch. What goes on inside the machine, however, is quite amazing.

WASHING MACHINE

In most modern machines all you can see insideis a big metal cylinder, which is where the washinggoes. In some older machines there will be a twistedplastic pole that moves the clothes around to makesure they get really clean. Look at the pictures to seethe main parts that make the machine work.

What’s inside a washing machine

Outer cylinder – this is attached to thebody of the washing machine, andmounted to let the inner cylinder shakeinside without bashing into any otherparts. It also seals in the water.

Inner cylinder– clothesare heldinside here

Motor – an electronically powered motorturns a spindle,which is attachedto a belt that turnsthe cylinder around

5

Pump – thismoves water inand out of theouter cylinderas needed

Concreteblock forstabilising

Valves – the two valves feed intothe one pipe. If the highesttemperature setting is selected, thenthe ‘hot’ valve opens. If a cool settingis chosen, then the ‘cold’ one opensinstead. If you need warm water,then they both open simultaneously

Pipe – takes away all thewater from the cylindersand discharges it safely

6

When you spin a container of liquid around really fast,the liquid moves to the sides of the container. Try it(outside) with a bucket about a third full of water. Spinit around repeatedly with your arm outstretched – ifyou do this fast enough, the water won’t spill outbecause it is ‘clinging’ to the sides of the bucket. Whenthe inner and outer cylinders of a washing machinespin, the water moves to the edge and is removed bypipes, which makes your clothes a little drier.

Soaking clothes in warm, soapy water makes the dirtdissolve and float off the material. Swooshing themaround at the same time speeds up the process andalso helps to move the dirt away from the clothes.Changing the dirty water for clean water carries offthe dissolved dirt and gives any remaining dirt anotherchance to be cleaned off the clothes.

How do clothes get clean

What’s the spin cycle

Soaking dissolves the dirt

Rotating action lifts dirt from clothes

Clean water flushes dirt away

The average washing machine has a capacity(holds when full) of around 5.5 kg (12 lb) of clothes.That’s around 55 pairs of socks!

The reason washing machines are so heavy is thata large block of concrete needs to be attached fromthe main frame to counterbalance the force of thewashing being moved around and around, especiallywhen the machine is spinning the clothes.

FACT BYTES

7

Without the modern iron, ironing our clothes would be a long, messy andeven dangerous process! Before the introduction of electricity, heavy lumpsof metal, heated by the fire, were run over clean clothes, but they oftenleft behind a line of dirt in the process.

IRON

The first electric iron is credited to Henry W. Seely ofNew York in 1882. In the same year, a Frenchcompany created an iron that was heated by an arc(semicircle) made of carbon, but this was highlydangerous, and in 1892, both Crompton and Co. andthe General Electric Company managed to create arelatively safe electric model. It set an industrystandard for many years, being made from only fourmetal components, and a wooden handle and someelectronic parts.

Who invented the electric iron

A housemaid uses an electric iron on a lace doilyin this advertisement from General Electric

Steam combined with the heat and weight of the ironhelps to stretch out the molecules in your clothes,smoothing away any creases – but you don’t want wetclothes! That’s why the water to make the steam ispassed through tiny holes in the hot base of the iron –it turns into steam before it gets the chance to makeyour clothes soaking wet again.

Why does steamhelp ironing

By 1939, the electric iron had become the second-mostpopular household appliance (number one was the radio).

Some weird and wacky irons have been invented since1882 – one model had cords that plugged into electric ironing boards! The travel iron, friend of the business travellerand holidaymaker alike, is a particularly lightweight versionthat can run on a 120-volt power supply.

FACT BYTES

8

The main part of an iron is the heating element, likethat in an electric oven, which makes it hot. An ironalso needs a metal base, a thermostat (to stop the ironoverheating and burning your clothes) and a controlbutton to set it to the right temperature.

What’s inside an iron

Metals expand at different temperatures, so two stripsof metal, made from different types, are fixed together. The strip that expands more forces the other strip tobend. When the iron goes above the temperaturesetting you want, this metal strip bends so much that itmoves, breaking the electrical circuit. The flow ofelectricity stops so the iron cools down.

How does the thermostat work

Hot plate – this is coatedin a special alloy (mix) ofmetals, which helps toprevent the metal sticking to clothes. It alsohelps the iron to glideover clothes as smoothlyas possible

Water tank – fill a littleplastic jug with waterand pour it into the holeat the front of the iron. The water will run downa tube and fill up thetank. The water is heatedto create steam

Element –causes thebase of theiron to heat up

Thermostat – a heat sensitive strip cuts thepower supply as soon asthe chosen temperatureis reached, and the current returns when theiron has cooled down

Control button –you can set this tothe temperaturemost suitable forthe fabric that youwant to iron

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