AT HOME EDUCATION ACTIVITIES & VIDEO LESSONS
BERTHA BENZ’S FAMOUS RIDE
The first practical car was the Patent Motorwagen developed by Karl Benz and his wife Bertha. In August, 1888, Bertha took their two teenage sons on a round-trip journey from their home in Mannheim to her mother’s place in Pforzheim, a drive of over 120 miles. Along the way, Bertha had to improvise solutions to mechanical issues, and her trip helped garner attention for the car.
MAKES AND MODELS
Hundreds of brands, or makes, of cars have been produced over history. Each make tends to have multiple models, providing different options for price and performance.
FUEL DELIVERY
To power engines, gasoline must get from its origins in petroleum buried deep in the earth to gas stations. At these stations people get fuel that they put in their car, providing the energy needed by the engine to produce motion. The gasoline is moved by various means, including trucks, trains, and pipelines.
CAR ENGINES
Engines are what provide the power for a car to go. While electric motors and other alternatives are gaining popularity, gasoline-powered engines are still the most common form of propulsion. Engines are made up of multiple components, each serving a role in creating propulsion.
HOW THINGS MOVE
Motion is the act of moving. To make an object such as a car move, a force must be applied. Many things affect how much force is required to put an automobile into motion.
CAR PARTS
Cars are made up of many parts, components, and systems. Each serves a particular role, from making the car go, allowing the driver to control the speed and direction, providing comfort and convenience, or ensuring the safety of the occupants.
THE CAR AND CIVIL RIGHTS
The 20th Century witnessed unparalleled transformations in society. Technological innovations such as the automobile changed the way humans to live and work. At the same time, social movements actively sought to bring equal rights to many communities as seen in the Civil Rights Movement. It is unsurprising that these stories would intertwine.
THE BIRTH OF THE CAR
The evolution of transportation took a giant leap with industrialization and the introduction of self-propelled vehicles. Explore the history of innovation that culminates in the introduction of the first practical car in the late 19th Century.