Engineering & STEM
Engineering & STEM resources
Explore forces, gears and electrical circuits with free engineering lessons, worked examples and interactive tools for GCSE and technical study.
Start with a machine you know
Imagine a small motor lifting a tray of components. The motor spins quickly and the tray needs to rise slowly. What should connect them? How much electricity will the lift use? What happens if someone puts twice the load on the tray? Each question leads to a different part of engineering.
| If you want to… | Try this investigation |
|---|---|
| Slow the lift down | Choose two gear wheels in the gear ratio calculator and predict the speed of the output shaft. |
| Work out the turning effect of a load | Draw a force diagram and use the mechanics lesson to calculate a moment. |
| Explain a change in current | Compare two resistors in the circuit workbench before changing the supply voltage. |
| Estimate how much electricity a change saves | Test a lighting proposal using the environmental technology guide. |
| Practise recording a test | Use the inspection example and questions in the GCSE and BTEC revision workshop. |
Keep an engineer's notebook
Divide a page into three columns. In the first, write a prediction you could prove wrong. In the second, record a measurement or calculation, including the unit. Use the third to explain any difference. If the motor runs more slowly than you predicted, ask whether you measured it with the load attached. A useful notebook records the conditions as well as the result.
These resources continue the engineering themes taught at Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy. For the subjects pupils studied there, see the curriculum archive. For ways to put these skills to work around Bristol, explore engineering careers.