This is a way cool link that Stan Dubinsky shared, and I pass it on.
I would include some of the animations here, but I couldn’t figure out how to capture or imbed them. So you’ll have to go there to check them out.
These animations are very appealing. So appealing that they help me understand why someone would want to be an engineer rather than deal in political commentary the way I do. These simple illustrations ARE the way these things work (presumably), and no argument about it. (Unless, of course, these are hoaxes and they don’t actually work these ways. But they’re quite convincing nonetheless.)
Such certainty is very soothing.
My favorite animation? The sewing machine. I never could quite imagine how a needle going in and out, and not going all the way through, could possibly produce a stitch. Now I see.
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I must have missed out on the brain programming that enables one to understand even those animations. Maybe if a tree hadn’t fallen on the edge of our yard onto the power/telephone pole and knocked out our A/C and any fans until almost 6AM, while we tried to sleep to the drone of chainsaws and block out the flashing warning lights–except that I never understand this stuff, or physics or double entry bookkeeping.
But the link doesn’t demonstrate the difference between two-cycle engines and four-cycle engines.
Chainsaws typically, are two-cycle engines requiring a gas/oil mix to burn.
AC and DC are two different beasts. I found in my research after my third degree electrical burn that DC can kill. I don’t like working with AC. I now have a healthy respect for DC; I am also now, non-conductive since I don’t wear a wedding ring.
I love that site. I am very much a visual learner. The eye opener for me on understanding how a sewing machine could ever possibly sew was learning that – it uses 2 threads instead of one – but that animation is also quite nice.