Essay Sample: The Invention of the Wheel

Most inventions in history are based on things in nature, but the wheel is one hundred percent human design (Gambino). Present-day wheels are nothing like the early wheels designs (English). So many everyday items use the wheel. Bicycles, cars, ferris wheels, electrical fans, analog clocks, winches, windmills, waterwheels, doorknobs, pizza cutters, and skateboards all use wheels (Meleen). All these innovations and more have led to the wheel’s help in altering how we use the wheel now, improving transportation, and improving life.

Currently, many advancements have improved wheels. The wheel gave the Celtics and Egyptians a greater need for speed and maneuverability. This led the Egyptians to make the spoked wheel and the Celtics to make iron rims for more strength. “However, the wheel remained largely unimproved until the 19th Century when Robert William Thompson invented the pneumatic tyre, a rubber wheel using compressed air which paved the way for automobile and bicycle tyres”(Snowden). These advancements have improved the wheel by making it lighter, more efficient, and even last longer (Kanchwala). Wheels with spokes also allow vehicles to move faster (Hold Ye Front Page). Another advancement that improved the wheel is the way it has changed over the years. The first wheel was made by cutting from trees (“50 Interesting Facts About the Wheel”). This wheel was improved by cutting out sections of the wood. While others had large portions cut out so the wheel could be reinforced with bars. The wheel was also so key that in places where wood was rare they used stone (Bender 12). In conclusion, the wheel has changed a lot mostly to improve speed.

The wheel improved transportation in many ways. The wheel improved early transportation by leading to the invention of carts and chariots (“10,000 Years of Economy > The Origins”). The firsts carts were heavy and solid, and they were connected with the axle to make the whole thing turn together (Hold Ye Front Page). For these vehicles or any other system using a wheel and axle, for it to work the wheel needs to be able to rotate without resistance around the axle. People achieve this by fitting the axle directly in the middle of the wheel allowing the maximization of continuity during motion (Alexander). The cart being used this way was a big improvement in transportation since wheels were not originally used to move carts (“50 Interesting Facts About the Wheel”). The wheel was also very important to the making of the propeller and the jet engine (Ashford). This was key to improving transportation because planes are very fast ways of moving around getting from place to place. In conclusion, the wheel was very important to the evolution of transportation.

One of the many other ways the wheel has impacted life is by improving life. Early humans realized heavy round objects could easily be moved by rolling them. Their offspring improved this technique to the point where they could move large objects on circular logs. After this came the creation of the wheel and axle which let rolling logs be placed through a hole that was in the wheel to create carts (Snowden). This improved life since before these techniques were discovered people used inclined planes to move things or before the wheel rolling logs (“50 Interesting Facts About the Wheel”). The wheel is still improving life in many ways. The wheel is improving our travel through planes (Ashford), it still helps us lift heavy objects with the crane (Snedden 12), and wheels make up gears and there are many items with gears in them (Snedden 12). Planes help us travel places faster than other means of transportation such as cars and boats which wheels still help. The crane is key to letting us lift things we can’t normally lift and it allows us to take it higher than we normally would be able to. Finally, the wheel has helped with watches and many other things that use gears. In conclusion, the wheel has done so much to improve life.

The wheel has led to many inventions. All of those inventions have led to changing how the wheel is used now, ameliorating transportation, and enhancing human life.