Activity: Inventions Quiz

"Landing Gear" is correct — great job! This is a detail from Leonardo's Heliocopter. This mechanism, the landing gear, consists of a prop and a ladder. Both the prop and the ladder were retractable.

"Heliocopter" is correct — great job! This is a detail of the mechanism that drives the heliocopter. Two people would run on the lower level, which would rotate. The rotation would force the upper "fans" to rotate as well, lifting the heliocopter off the ground.

"Machine Gun" is correct — great job! This machine consisted of three sets of guns, set on a rotating triangular drum. A row of guns was placed on each side of the drum; when the first set of guns fired, the force of the explosion would propel those guns back, bringing the next set of guns to the top, ready to be fired.

"Thread Cutter" is correct — great job! This machine creates screws. It cuts a thread, or groove, around a central core to form the helix shape of a screw. A cutting blade is attached to two long guide screws on the bed of the table. As the cranks on the end of the table were turned, a cutting blade would run down the two guide screws, cutting a third bar placed between the two into an identical third screw.

"Catapult" is correct — great job! This stone thrower consists of a base, curved beam, gears, and a release mechanism. A stone would be laid on the top of the arched wooden beam and the release mechanism would be tightened with the gear. When the beam was released, the force of the release would catapult the stone into the air.

"Tank" is correct — great job! This machine is a human powered tank. The upper image shows the tank firing. There were multiple cannons arranged around the tank. The lower image shows the bottom of the tank. Four people would work the wheels in order to move the tank.

"Crossbow" is correct — great job! This machine consists of a wheel, four crossbows, a shield and the stand for the shield. The wheel is turned by people walking on top of the wheel. An archer is inside the wheel, firing the crossbows as they come around. The arrows are fired through the stand, and the shield protects the men walking on the wheel.

Congratulations! You've reached the end of the quiz.