What is a wheel and axle?

Wheel and axle ia a lever rotating in a circle The wheel and axle is a first class lever in which the fulcrum has been replaced by an axle and the arms have been repeated around the axle to make up the spokes or disk of the wheel. This allows the lever to rotate through 360 instead of the limited rotation in the teeter-totter application. However, it is important to differentiate between a wheel used simply as a roller to counteract friction (i.e. the front wheel of a bicycle), and the wheel and axle where a small amount of force is applied to the wheel which moves the axle with greater force (i.e. the back wheel of a bicycle driven by pedals/gears). With the roller, the force that moves the object is often not applied directly to the wheel. Early man discovered that several logs under a heavy object helped reduce friction, when moving an object. This "roller" method was awkward. The wheel evolved from one solid round of wood, to a wheel that is built up with a number of small pieces (spokes, rim etc.). Some examples of a wheel and axle are: a windlass, a capstan, a water wheel, a windmill, gears, doorknobs, faucet handles, and steering wheels.