Notes

Gravity is so familiar that we take it for granted and often forget it is there. Engineers certainly cannot forget about gravity, but they can use it to have some fun.

Roller coasters are often completely powered by gravity. Once the coaster gets to the top of the first hill, the riders rely on gravity - and the engineers who have designed, built and tested the ride - to get safely back to the ground.

A bungee jump is extremely scary and fun. But you may want to check the operators know their science! Gravity is pulling you down, and the tension in the elastic rope needs to be just right to balance that.

Tension (a pulling force) and compression (a pushing force) are found in many other places. Engineers design suspension bridges like the ones in the pictures, held up by the tension in the cables and the compression in the towers.

Bridges and buildings are obvious places where engineers have put their knowledge of forces to use. But there are many other ways in which engineers improve all our lives.

Nearly everything around you has been engineered. Chairs compress when you sit on them, and need to take your weight without breaking. Fire doors are designed to shut by themselves, but not so fast that they hurt you.

Sailing boats, trains, trampolines, artificial limbs and joints. The list is endless! Engineers need to understand forces to design and build all of these things, and to make sure they are safe.

Engineers come up against some interesting and important puzzles. Engineers here at Cambridge University were asked to help save Big Ben in London (see below)! A new underground train line was being built right next to it.

The engineers had to make sure that Big Ben would remain standing and safe while the new tunnel was built. They used their knowledge of forces under the ground to build the tunnel safely.

It is surprising all the different things engineers make possible. You can see it is important to understand science to make things work. Find out more in the Link Zone.