๐ Inventions and machines ๐ง Machines and tools
Inventions
๐ In short
An invention is something new that didn't exist before: a tool, a machine or a new way of doing something. Inventions have made our lives easier and better, from the wheel and paper long ago to electricity, the airplane and the computer today.
๐คฉ Did you know?
- The first civilizations and their inventions, like writing, appeared more than 5000 years ago.
- Inventions come from people's needs in life, work and society.
- Children can be inventors, and some famous inventions were made by children!
- The wheel is one of the most important inventions in history.
๐ Find out more
๐ Necessity is the mother of invention
An invention often starts with a problem: how can we carry water? How can we see at night? How can we talk to someone far away? Then the inventor thinks and experiments until they find a solution.
๐ Muslim inventors
Muslim scholars made many inventions: al-Jazari built amazing machines and clocks, Ibn al-Haytham studied light and the dark room, and Abbas ibn Firnas tried to fly.
๐ก Trial and error
An invention rarely works the first time. Edison tried a huge number of materials before making a practical light bulb. A successful inventor doesn't give up when things fail.
๐ฏ Patents
When someone invents something new, they register it at a special office and get a โpatentโ, a paper that protects their idea so no one else can claim it.
๐ธ More pictures
๐งฉ Test yourself
1 What does a successful inventor do if an experiment fails?
2 Which paper protects an inventor's idea?
3 The first civilizations and their inventions, like writing, appeared more than ?? years ago.
4 Which picture shows โInventionsโ?