0:00:05 > 0:00:08# If you've got a question and you don't know where to go
0:00:08 > 0:00:11# Ask Nina for some help cos she's got a science show
0:00:11 > 0:00:14# She makes sense of her senses while helping all her fans
0:00:14 > 0:00:17# By doing her experiments with potions and with bangs
0:00:17 > 0:00:19- # Touch your tongue.- Tongue!
0:00:19 > 0:00:21- # Fingers.- Fingers!
0:00:21 > 0:00:23- # Eyes.- Eyes!- Ears.- Ears!- Nose.- Nose!
0:00:23 > 0:00:26# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:26 > 0:00:29# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:29 > 0:00:32# Luke, he helps us with our eyes and Felix with our touch
0:00:32 > 0:00:36# Ollie sniffs out smells and Belle, she hears so much
0:00:36 > 0:00:38# Bud is Ollie's brother He helps us with our taste
0:00:38 > 0:00:41# They're Nina's little Neurons and they're coming to your place!
0:00:41 > 0:00:43- # Touch your tongue.- Tongue!
0:00:43 > 0:00:45- # Fingers.- Fingers!
0:00:45 > 0:00:47- # Eyes.- Eyes!- Ears.- Ears!- Nose.- Nose!
0:00:47 > 0:00:50# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:50 > 0:00:53# Nina and the Neurons find out what you need to know
0:00:53 > 0:00:55# Oh, yeah! #
0:00:55 > 0:00:58# Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo. #
0:00:58 > 0:01:02Oh, hello there. I'm just hanging my washing on the washing line to dry.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04Time for the next bit of washing.
0:01:06 > 0:01:09ALARM SOUNDS
0:01:09 > 0:01:11I hear a beep, I see a flash. I wonder what they're going to ask?
0:01:15 > 0:01:17- Hi, Nina.- Hi, guys.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19We've got a question for you.
0:01:19 > 0:01:22- How do cable cars work? - That's a great questions.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27How do cable cars work? A cable car is a very unusual sort of car.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30It doesn't have any wheels and it moves high above our heads.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32But how does it work?
0:01:32 > 0:01:34Why don't you come to my workshop and we'll investigate.
0:01:34 > 0:01:38- ALL: See you soon, Nina. Bye! - Bye!
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Well, I'm going to need some help to answer this one
0:01:40 > 0:01:42and I know just who to ask.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44OK, Neurons, time to get to work.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02ALL: Neurons at the ready, Nina.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06OK, today's question is how do cable cars work?
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Now, which Neuron do you think will be most useful in helping us
0:02:09 > 0:02:10find the answer?
0:02:10 > 0:02:13- Me!- Me!- Me!- Me!- Me!
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Will it be fabulous Felix?
0:02:16 > 0:02:20I can help so very much if you need the sense of touch.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Will it be beautiful Belle?
0:02:22 > 0:02:24I send messages to brain from ear.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26If there's a sound I'll help you hear.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28Will it be lovely Luke?
0:02:28 > 0:02:30For looking and seeing day or night,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I'll help you with your sense of sight.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Will it be awesome Ollie?
0:02:35 > 0:02:37If it's pongy or whiffy but you can't tell,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40my messages help your sense of smell.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42Or will it be baby Bud.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46Sour, salty, bitter or sweet, I'm your taste buddy whenever you eat.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53It's Luke!
0:02:53 > 0:02:56- Go Luke!- Go Luke!- Go Luke!- Go Luke!
0:02:56 > 0:03:00- Go Luke!- Go Luke!- Go Luke!
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Cool, Nina. I'll be looking out to help you.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Today's question is how do cable cars work,
0:03:06 > 0:03:09and because cable cars are something that we can see
0:03:09 > 0:03:12as they move above us, Luke is going to be helping us.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14But stand by, Neurons,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16I have a feeling I may be needing help from all of you.
0:03:16 > 0:03:20Right, I need to get the workshop ready before the engineers arrive.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Liam likes fishing.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Kieran likes playing football.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31- Lewis loves drawing. - I drew a cable car on holiday.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34They go really high up.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36They've got people inside.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38So, today, for one day only,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Liam, Kieran and Lewis become the Engineers!
0:03:45 > 0:03:48- Hi, guys. - ALL: Hi, Nina.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Welcome to my workshop and thanks for your great question,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53how do cable cars work?
0:03:53 > 0:03:57To find out the answer, let's start by using our senses.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01- ALL:- Woo-woo, a senses experiment! We're ready, Nina.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05Let's have a look at a cable car in action.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09Cable cars move through the sky and they're joined on to something
0:04:09 > 0:04:14called a cable, which is a very strong rope made out of metal.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16This is what a cable looks like.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Now, have a feel of it, boys. Do you think you could bend or break it?
0:04:22 > 0:04:26- No.- That's right. The cable has to be very, very strong
0:04:26 > 0:04:31so it can hold all the cars and all those people up in the air.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34And what else did you notice about the cable car?
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- Where were they going?- Uphill. - That's right.
0:04:37 > 0:04:38They can take people uphill.
0:04:38 > 0:04:43Sometimes hills are too steep or too rocky for cars to drive up,
0:04:43 > 0:04:47so engineers invented cable cars to take people up and down.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50Come with me and I'll show you how they work.
0:04:50 > 0:04:56This is a model of a cable car and the cars are attached to the cable,
0:04:56 > 0:05:00and when the cable moves, the cars move with it.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06These wheels are very important, and I'll show you what they do.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10Can I ask you to hold this piece of string? You hold a bit.
0:05:10 > 0:05:14You hold a bit for me, my dear, and you as well. That's lovely.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Thank you, Lewis.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19OK, now we need to keep it nice and tight so it's not floppy.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Let's see what happens if we move the cable.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27SHE LAUGHS
0:05:27 > 0:05:29The cable car is swinging around.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Let's put it down.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36So when we move the cables without these wheels,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38it's really quite bumpy,
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and that wouldn't be very nice for the people in the cable cars.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46See how smooth the wheels make it? These wheels are called pulleys.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50A pull me? I like the sound of that!
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Almost, Bud. It's a pulley.
0:05:52 > 0:05:57It's a special wheel that helps move a cable or rope.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01A real cable car has a pulley at both ends just like our model does,
0:06:01 > 0:06:07and the pulleys keep turning, which keeps the cable moving.
0:06:07 > 0:06:11Now, I'm turning the handle which is moving the pulleys at the moment,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15but in a real cable car, a big motor turns the pulleys.
0:06:15 > 0:06:19Those pulleys look way cool. I can see them spinning.
0:06:19 > 0:06:23That's right, Luke. Pulleys are used for all sorts of things.
0:06:23 > 0:06:27They move washing on a washing line. Boats use them to lift their sails.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Cranes use them to lift heavy things. They are very, very useful.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34But how does the cable car stay up in the air?
0:06:34 > 0:06:37I know a fun place where we can take a ride and see for ourselves.
0:06:39 > 0:06:44Oh, goody. I love this bit. I wonder where Nina is taking us?
0:06:44 > 0:06:48Maybe it's a play park? She said we could go on a ride.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- I love rides! - Maybe it's a horse ride.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Looks like we've arrived, Neurons.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00You wanted to know how does a cable car work, and so far we've found out
0:07:00 > 0:07:02that cable cars move through the air
0:07:02 > 0:07:06because they're joined to strong metal ropes called cables.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09At each end of the cable, there's something called a pulley,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12which helps to keep the cable moving smoothly.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15But how do cable cars stay up in the air?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18This is a cable car crossing the River Thames.
0:07:18 > 0:07:23Look at those cars in the sky. I can't believe my eyes!
0:07:23 > 0:07:26This cable car is a bit different. It doesn't go up mountains.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Engineers built it to make it easy for people to cross the Thames.
0:07:31 > 0:07:36These big towers hold the cables up high, and keep them nice and tight,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39just like we kept the string nice and tight for our little cable car
0:07:39 > 0:07:41in the workshop.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44The cables have to be very, very high
0:07:44 > 0:07:47to make sure that the cars don't bump into anything.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49They look seriously high, Nina.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54- Can you see the big wheel?- Yes.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57That's the pulley that helps to move the cable,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59and it's just like the ones we saw in the workshop,
0:07:59 > 0:08:00but it's much bigger
0:08:00 > 0:08:05and it has to be that big so it can hold up the really strong cable.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08This pulley is turned by a big motor
0:08:08 > 0:08:12that keeps the cable moving and moves the cable cars along.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15- It's clever, isn't it? - Yes, really clever.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19- Shall we have a ride in a cable car? - ALL: Yes!- Let's go!
0:08:19 > 0:08:22Yippee! I can't wait!
0:08:22 > 0:08:24There's the pulley.
0:08:30 > 0:08:34A speedboat and a tram!
0:08:39 > 0:08:44- We're getting higher and higher. - It feels like we're flying!
0:08:44 > 0:08:49Wa-hoo! I love going on rides. This is fabby!
0:08:49 > 0:08:51And we've crossed the river too.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02That is way cool.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04It was, wasn't it?
0:09:07 > 0:09:10There's something else unusual about cable cars.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14Did you notice, when we wanted to get off, our cable car slowed down,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18- but the others further along the cable didn't?- Yes, Nina.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22All the cars are joined to the same cable,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25but if cars slowed down or stopped when someone wanted to get off,
0:09:25 > 0:09:28it would be a very slow journey,
0:09:28 > 0:09:31so engineers had to find a way to make sure only a few cars
0:09:31 > 0:09:35slowed down to let people off and the rest could keep moving.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39So look at how the cars are joined on to the cable.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43We can see it here too.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Look, it opens and closes.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50It's a large grip that joins the car on to its cable
0:09:50 > 0:09:54and it's this grip that makes sure only one car slows down at a time.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Let's go back to the workshop and I'll show you how.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01A real cable car has big grips
0:10:01 > 0:10:04just like the one we saw on our cable car journey.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07This grip holds the cable car on to the cable.
0:10:07 > 0:10:13Lots of things have grips in them, like clothes pegs.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17We use pegs to hold washing on to our washing lines.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Here's our model cable car from earlier.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24We're using these as grips.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Watch this.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30As the cable car reaches the end, it has to slow down
0:10:30 > 0:10:33to let the people off, so I'm going to open the grip.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35Now watch what happens.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41- What's happening?- It stopped. - That's right.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44The cable is still moving, but the car stopped,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47because it's not gripping on to the cable any more.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50But what happens if I close the grip again?
0:10:52 > 0:10:54- What's happening?- It's moving.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57Engineering is really clever.
0:10:57 > 0:10:58That's right.
0:10:58 > 0:11:02When the grips are closed, the cars are holding on to the cable
0:11:02 > 0:11:08so they get pulled along by it, but when the grips are open,
0:11:08 > 0:11:12the cars stop, because they're not being pulled by the cable any more,
0:11:12 > 0:11:15and that's when people can get on and off.
0:11:15 > 0:11:20Ooh, all the other cars are still joined to the cable,
0:11:20 > 0:11:22so they're still pulled along and don't stop.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31So your question was, how do cable cars work?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33And I think we've answered it.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36We discovered that engineers invented cable cars to help people
0:11:36 > 0:11:40get up big hills and mountains or across rivers.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Cable cars move through the air,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46because they're joined to a strong metal rope called a cable.
0:11:46 > 0:11:50At each end of the cable, there's a big pulley that's turned by a motor
0:11:50 > 0:11:52which keeps the cable moving.
0:11:52 > 0:11:58Cable cars are joined to the cable using grips that open and close.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02They grab on to move or they open their grips to slow down,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04and that's when people can get on or off.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06So I hope that's answered your question.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08ALL: Thanks, Nina. Bye.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10You're welcome. Bye.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14If you want to know more about the science and engineering
0:12:14 > 0:12:17that's all around us, go to the Nina section on the CBeebies website.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19Have fun!
0:12:19 > 0:12:21- # Pulling.- Pushing. - Twisting.- Mixing.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- # Drilling.- Squeezing.- Floating.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25# Go engineering
0:12:25 > 0:12:27# Go engineering!
0:12:27 > 0:12:31# When you need to fly it Make it, shape it
0:12:32 > 0:12:37# Go engineering, go engineering!
0:12:37 > 0:12:40# When you want to build Go engineering
0:12:40 > 0:12:41# Engineering!
0:12:41 > 0:12:46# When you've got to solve a problem but you don't know how to do it
0:12:46 > 0:12:49# It's time to go engineering
0:12:49 > 0:12:51# Engineering!
0:12:51 > 0:12:55# When you want to lift it Stick it, pop it, bend it
0:12:55 > 0:12:58# It's time to go engineering
0:12:58 > 0:13:00# Engineering!
0:13:00 > 0:13:04# Go engineering, go engineering!
0:13:04 > 0:13:07# When you need to fly it Make it, shape it
0:13:07 > 0:13:09# Engineering!
0:13:09 > 0:13:13# Go engineering, go engineering!
0:13:13 > 0:13:16# When you want to build Go engineering
0:13:18 > 0:13:20# Go engineering! #
0:13:20 > 0:13:23I really enjoyed myself today,
0:13:23 > 0:13:26seeing how cable cars move using pulleys.
0:13:26 > 0:13:31It's been a marvellous day. Crossing the river by going up in the sky
0:13:31 > 0:13:35was so clever, and there was no chance of getting wet feet.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39Ah, it's been such a great day, man,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42seeing how the cars hold on to the cable.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45And remember, engineers helped to build the world around us.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48They make things work and use science to solve problems.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51See you again soon. Bye!
0:13:51 > 0:13:52ALL: Bye!
0:13:52 > 0:13:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd