A–B. Health and Safety; Technological Development, Impacts, and Careers · Technology Fundamentals, Safety and Connections

Fundamental Technological Concepts II: Mechanism, Power, Control, Systems, Fabrication, Innovation and Sustainability

A1.1About 70 minutes

Learning goals

I can describe mechanism, power and energy, control, systems, fabrication, innovation and environmental sustainability.
I can tell open-loop control from closed-loop control.
I can use all thirteen fundamental concepts to analyse a product or service.

Words to know

mechanism
A system of connected parts that allows a product to work.

power and energy
The resource, such as muscle, electricity or fuel, that lets a mechanism do work.

control
The means by which a device or process is started, regulated or stopped.

closed-loop control
Control that uses feedback from a sensor to adjust itself, like a thermostat.

open-loop control
Control that runs without checking the result, like a basic toaster timer.

subsystem
A smaller system that is part of a bigger system.

fabrication
Making a product by measuring, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing materials.

innovation
Original, creative thinking that results in an effective design.

environmental sustainability
Meeting present needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Hook: what makes a bike go, stop and turn?

A bicycle looks simple, but it is full of technology. Your legs provide the energy. A chain and two sprockets carry that energy to the back wheel. Levers on the handlebars let you stop and change gears. Dozens of parts were cut, bent and joined in a factory. And some newer bikes add a battery and a motor.

Every one of those sentences uses a fundamental technological concept. In this lesson you will learn the other seven: mechanism, power and energy, control, systems, fabrication, innovation and environmental sustainability.

Remember from Grade 8

In Systems in Action you learned that levers, pulleys, gears and ramps give mechanical advantage, that no machine is 100% efficient because some energy is lost (often as heat and sound), and that automated systems use code and sensors to control themselves. Those ideas are the heart of today's concepts.

Concept	What it means	Question to ask
Mechanism	A system of connected parts that allows a product to work.	What moving parts make it work?
Power and energy	The resource that lets a mechanism do work.	Where does the energy come from, and how is it changed?
Control	The means by which a device or process is started, stopped or regulated.	How is it turned on, adjusted or stopped?
Systems	Combinations of related parts that make up a whole, which may connect to other systems.	What are the subsystems, and what bigger systems does it connect to?
Fabrication / building / creation	Assembling parts, materials and resources to create a product or service.	How is it made, built or delivered?
Innovation	Original, creative thinking that leads to an effective design.	What is new or improved about it?
Environmental sustainability	Meeting present needs without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs.	What does it cost the planet, and how could that be reduced?

The other seven fundamental technological concepts, with the meanings used in Ontario's technological education curriculum.

One bicycle shows mechanism, power and energy, control, systems, fabrication and innovation. Can you add environmental sustainability? (Hint: what powers it?)

A closer look

Mechanism. Mechanisms change motion or force. Gears and sprockets transfer turning motion; levers multiply force; linkages change the direction of motion; cams change turning motion into up-and-down motion. A stapler, a can opener and a door handle are all mechanisms.

Power and energy. Something has to supply energy: human muscle, electricity from the grid or a battery, fuels such as gasoline, propane or natural gas, compressed air (pneumatic tools) or pressurized liquid (hydraulic lifts, which you met in Grade 8 Fluids). Technology usually converts energy from one form to another, for example a drill changes electrical energy into motion, plus some heat and sound.

Control. Controls start, stop and adjust. A light switch is a simple on/off control. A dimmer gives variable control. An open-loop control runs without checking the result: a basic toaster heats for a set time whether the bread is pale or burnt. A closed-loop control uses feedback from a sensor: a thermostat measures the room and turns the furnace on or off to keep the temperature near the set point.

Systems. A system is a group of related parts working together. Big systems contain subsystems (a car has fuel, braking, steering and electrical subsystems) and connect to other systems (roads, gas stations, charging stations). Services are systems too: a restaurant's kitchen, servers and ordering app work together.

Fabrication, building or creation. This is how something is actually made or delivered. Common processes are measuring and marking, cutting and shaping (sawing, drilling, sanding), forming (bending, moulding, 3D printing), joining (screws, nails, bolts, glue, welding, soldering, sewing) and finishing (painting, staining, polishing). In a service, creation is carrying out the steps: cooking the meal, cutting the hair.

Innovation. An invention is a brand-new idea or device. An innovation puts an idea to effective use. Some innovations are incremental (a slightly better tire tread). Others are radical and change how people live (the smartphone).

Environmental sustainability. Sustainable design uses less material and energy, chooses renewable or recycled materials, avoids toxic substances, makes products durable and repairable, and plans for reuse or recycling at the end of their life.

A thermostat is a closed-loop control: the sensor feeds back the room temperature, so the system corrects itself. A basic toaster timer is open-loop: it does not check the toast.

Worked example

Let's analyse a pop-up toaster

Use the seven concepts in this lesson to describe a pop-up toaster.

Mechanism: pushing the lever down compresses a spring and lowers the bread; a latch holds it down until the cycle ends, then the spring pops the bread up.
Power and energy: electrical energy from the outlet is changed into heat in the heating elements (plus a little light and sound).
Control: the browning dial sets how long it toasts. Because it does not check the colour of the bread, this is mainly open-loop control. The cancel button stops it early.
Systems: a heating subsystem, a timing and control subsystem and the lift mechanism work together. The toaster also connects to a bigger system: the home's electrical wiring and the power grid.
Fabrication: the metal case is cut and bent from sheet metal; parts are joined with screws, rivets or clips; the plastic ends are moulded.
Innovation: the automatic pop-up was an innovation over toasters you had to watch and flip by hand.
Environmental sustainability: a toaster that can be opened and repaired lasts longer; at the end of its life it should go to electronics recycling, not the garbage.

Every concept fits. Notice that control and systems overlap: the control is one of the subsystems.

Concepts connect

Many concepts overlap. A gear is part of a mechanism, is made by a fabrication process, and is chosen for its material. When you analyse, it is fine to mention one feature under two concepts, as long as you explain each link.

Just for fun

Why couldn't the bicycle stand up by itself?

Because it was two-tired.

Hands-on activity

Build a cardboard lazy-tongs mechanism

You need: a cereal box or other thin cardboard, a ruler, a pencil, scissors, 7 or more paper fasteners (split pins), a ball of modelling clay or an eraser. A grown-up should supervise cutting and hole-making. Paper fasteners have sharp points: bend the legs flat after inserting them.

Measure and mark six strips, each 2 cm wide and 15 cm long. Mark a dot 1 cm from each end and one in the exact middle (7.5 cm).
Cut the strips out. Make a hole at each dot by pushing a sharp pencil through the cardboard into the clay (keep fingers away from the point).
Join two strips at their middle holes to make an X. Make three Xs.
Join the Xs end to end (top end to top end, bottom end to bottom end) to make a zig-zag chain.
Squeeze the two free handles together and watch the far end shoot out. Use it to pick up a balled-up sock.
Write: name the mechanism, the power source, how you control it, and the fabrication steps you used. What would you change to make it reach farther? (More Xs, or longer strips.)

Your turn

What is a mechanism? Give an example from your kitchen.

Name the power source of: (a) a cordless drill, (b) a hand saw, (c) a gas lawn mower.

Is a light switch an example of a mechanism, a control or both? Explain.

Explain the difference between open-loop and closed-loop control.

Name three subsystems of a car.

What is the difference between an invention and an innovation?

Give two ways a designer can make a product more environmentally sustainable.

More practice: warm-up

Which concept is about the source of energy?

Which concept is about how something is started, adjusted or stopped?

Name one joining method used in fabrication.

What is a subsystem?

Which concept asks about the needs of future generations?

More practice: on your own

A motion-sensor porch light turns on when someone walks up, stays on for two minutes, then turns off. Is it open-loop or closed-loop? Explain.

Trace the energy conversions in an electric kettle.

Describe three fabrication processes used to make a wooden birdhouse.

Explain why a furnace is a system that connects to other systems.

Classify each as incremental or radical innovation: (a) a hockey stick with a slightly lighter shaft, (b) the first smartphone, (c) a toothbrush with a new bristle shape.

Challenge

Analyse an electric snowblower using all seven concepts from this lesson.

Design a simple closed-loop control for watering a houseplant. Name the sensor, the controller's decision and the output. Draw or describe the loop.

A company makes phones that are glued shut so batteries cannot be replaced. Evaluate this choice using fabrication, innovation and environmental sustainability.

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which concept is "a system of connected parts that allows a product to work"?

A thermostat measures the room and switches the furnace on and off. This is...

Which is a fabrication process?

A hydraulic car lift gets its power from...

Which best describes environmental sustainability?

Brakes, steering and the drive chain on a bike are each...

Adding a battery and motor to a bicycle to make an e-bike is best described as...

For parents and teachers

This lesson connects directly to Grade 8 science (levers, gears, efficiency and automation). If your teen is stuck, ask the three "engineer questions" about any device: What makes it move? Where does its energy come from? How do you turn it on, adjust it and stop it?

The open-loop and closed-loop idea is often confused: a device is closed-loop only if a sensor measures the very thing being controlled and adjusts. Supervise the lazy-tongs activity: scissors, pencil points and the legs of paper fasteners can poke or cut. If you have no paper fasteners, short pieces of pipe cleaner twisted through the holes also work.