Fasteners 01
How a zipper works
Watch the boundary between open and closed. It travels with the slider.
3 min readThe object index
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Fasteners 02
Why jeans have rivets
Those small metal dots mark a very specific problem: the ends of pocket seams.
3 min read
Materials 03
Why cardboard is corrugated
A shipping box is not just thick paper. Its hidden waves make a structure.
3 min read
Everyday machines 04
How a soap pump works
Press to dispense. Release to refill. Two one-way valves keep those jobs separate.
3 min read
Everyday machines 05
How a click pen works
The spring wants the refill back. A little rotating latch decides whether it gets there.
3 min read
Everyday machines 06
Why bikes can coast
A one-way connection lets the rear wheel keep moving when the pedals stop.
3 min read
Everyday machines 07
How a microwave heats food
The oven supplies energy throughout part of the food. The food still has to share that heat.
5 min read
Everyday machines 08
How a refrigerator works
Cold is the result. Moving heat is the job.
5 min read
Everyday machines 09
How a toaster works
The element makes heat. The bread decides how that heat becomes toast.
5 min read
Everyday machines 10
How an electric kettle switches off
A familiar click can begin with steam reaching a small piece of metal.
5 min read
Everyday machines 11
How induction cooking works
The pan becomes the heating element. The glass still touches a hot pan.
5 min read
Everyday machines 12
How a dishwasher works
A wash cycle is a circulating shower, followed by a change of water.
5 min read
Everyday machines 13
Why washing machines spin
Fast rotation removes liquid water. It does not make all the moisture vanish.
5 min read
Everyday machines 14
How a vacuum cleaner works
Air makes the journey through the machine. Dust should leave that journey early.
5 min read
Everyday machines 15
How a siphon works
One part of the route rises. The full journey still loses height.
4 min read
Everyday machines 16
How an escalator works
The staircase is one visible part of a loop of guided moving steps.
5 min read
Fasteners 17
How hook-and-loop fasteners work
A field of tiny catches makes a closure that is strong in one direction and easy to open in another.
5 min read
Materials 18
How super glue works
A trace of moisture turns a liquid of small molecules into a solid connection.
5 min read
Everyday machines 19
How suction cups work
The cup makes a lower-pressure pocket. The air around it supplies the push.
5 min read
Materials 20
Why pencils write
The point wears away on purpose. The paper keeps what it removes.
5 min read
Materials 21
How erasers work
An erased line has gone somewhere. Look in the crumbs.
5 min read
Materials 22
Why glass is transparent
Light must get through without losing the picture it carries.
5 min read
Materials 23
Why stainless steel resists rust
Its protection is a very thin reaction layer that can form again.
5 min read
Materials 24
Why nonstick pans are slippery
The pan supplies heat. A different material supplies the contact surface.
5 min read
Materials 25
How tempered glass works
A controlled balance of internal stresses changes how a pane resists and releases a crack.
5 min read
Materials 26
Why bubble wrap protects things
The air pockets make a short stop happen over a little more time and distance.
5 min read
Everyday machines 27
How a drinks can tab works
Your finger goes up. The opening goes down. In between, the lever changes its job.
3 min read
Materials 28
Why bottle caps have liners
The thread holds the cap down. The seal lives at the contact surface.
5 min read
Everyday machines 29
Why sinks have overflow holes
That small opening usually joins the same drain by a different route.
5 min read
Fasteners 30
How a pin tumbler lock works
The right key does not push a bolt directly. It clears a boundary so another part can turn.
4 min read
Fasteners 31
How a stapler works
The top pushes. The bottom shapes. The spring makes the next staple ready.
5 min read
Materials 32
Why tape measures are curved
One strip has to behave like a straight ruler and a compact coil. Its cross-section makes the compromise possible.
5 min read
Everyday machines 33
How a seat belt retractor works
A comfortable reel and an emergency restraint have to occupy the same small housing.
5 min read
Everyday machines 34
How an umbrella opens
One sliding ring changes the geometry of an entire roof.
5 min read
Everyday machines 35
How ball bearings work
The balls let parts turn, but they also have to carry the load between them.
4 min read
Everyday machines 36
How a pressure cooker works
The useful change is a hotter cooking environment, made possible by controlled pressure.
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