NEWTON’S LAB MAKE YOUR OWN PULLEY CRANE KIT

THE IMAGE OF A CRANE CAN OFTEN BE SEEN ACROSS A CITYSCAPE AND HAS BECOME A SYMBOL OF CONSTRUCTION. BUT NOT MANY PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THE SCIENCE THAT IS BEHIND THE TECHNICALITIES OF A CRANE. HOWEVER, WITH NEWTON’S LAB’S LATEST RELEASE OF MAKE YOUR OWN PULLEY CRANE, TEENS CAN EASILY UNDERSTAND HOW A CRANE AND PULLEY SYSTEM WORKS, BRINGING NEWTON’S THIRD LAW (THE THEORY THAT FOR EVERY ACTION, THERE IS AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION, SHOWN BY THE PULLEY MECHANISM OF A CRANE) TO LIFE AT HOME!

The Pulley Crane from Newton’s Lab reinforces lessons learnt at school, as it teaches teens the forces that are at play to create a pulley system, alongside the direction of forces used to lift heavy objects. In a science lesson, this can be quite mundane for most. However, with Newton’s Lab’s Pulley Crane, these lessons can be learnt whilst implicitly hidden in building your own mini crane.

Science class aside, this is also great for teens that are interested in construction, and the necessary precision behind it. The kit provided includes five die-cut cardboard pieces, metal screws and nuts, a metal hook, a sticker sheet, a wooden dowel, and a string and pulley. All the materials given in the pack are of good quality, but despite this, I still think that the price could be reduced slightly. Since you are using screws and such in the building process, the Pulley Crane is advised for ages 14+. However, being quite a bit older than this, I thoroughly enjoyed giving this technical challenge a go. The instructions provided are easy to follow in pictogram form, making it more accessible for a greater range of languages. I was able to put together the pulley crane in a good amount of time and found it really satisfying once I finally got it to work. Unsurprisingly, Newton’s Lab loves teaching the joys of Isaac Newton’s groundbreaking work in science. In the case of the Pulley Crane, teens can learn about the vital processes of opposing forces. Consequently, it wasn’t until I finished feeding the string up and through the crane, that I realised I had just recreated Newton’s Third Law – a great feeling!

PROS:

- Learn about Newton’s Third Law.

- Educational but enjoyable.

- Easy to follow instructions.

Cons

- Slightly overpriced.