July 19, 2020

Your Questions Week - How Do Escalators Work? (7-19-2020)

by Chompers

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How do escalators work? Our Gimlet friend and escalator expert Max Gibson gives us the answer on today's Chompers!

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[THEME SONG BEGINS]


>>RACHEL: Good morning, it’s time for Chompers, your twice daily toothbrushing show. 


Start brushing on the top of your mouth. Pick a side, and brush in little circles all the way around each tooth.


>>KIDS: 3, 2, 1 brush!


[THEME SONG ENDS]


>>JASMINE: Today’s question is from Oliver. Oliver tell our us what you want to know about?


>>OLIVER: I would like to know how escalators work. 


>>JASMINE: And to answer we asked resident escalator expert, Max.


>>MAX: Hey Jasmine. Yeah. Yeah. I am a huge fan of escalators. I ride them like almost every day. I am always amazed by them because they look like magic. It's like these stairs like normal stairs but they move up it's almost like a magic carpet ride or something. 


>>JASMINE: Right!!!! Switch your brushing to the other side of the top of your mouth…


[SWITCH BELL]


>>JASMINE: -and brush the molars in the back too. Ok so you know how they work right?


>>MAX: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I know a lot about them because one time on the subway I saw this guy fixing an escalator and he told me all about it. So here’s what he told me.


[MUSIC IN]


>>MAX: So the first thing you need to know is that escalators are escalators are over 100 years old - older than your grandparents probably. So that means that they were around before people were driving around in cars before people had smartphones and MP 3 players and all that stuff. People were actually getting around on horseback when escalators were invented. 


>>JASMINE: Switch your brushing to the bottom of your mouth…


[SWITCH BELL]


>>JASMINE: -and don’t brush too hard. Ok so they’re old how do escalators work?


>>MAX: how do escalators work? OK. So think of all the steps as being attached to a big chain. Think of the steps as if they were beads on a big bracelet. 


>>JASMINE: Ok the steps are like beads on a bracelet!


>>MAX: And when you move the bracelet or the chain the beads or the steps they move around with it. 


>>JASMINE: Oh I see!!!


Switch to the other side of the bottom of your mouth…


[SWITCH BELL]


>>JASMINE: -and brush your front teeth, too. 


>>MAX: So what's happening is the steps move up from the bottom to the top. And when a step reaches the top it flips upside down and moves all the way back to the bottom.


>>JASMINE: So ... while I'm walking on one step, there's a whole other set of steps UNDERNEATH that's just waiting for its turn to get walked on? 


>>MAX: Yeah! It's like this wheel that keeps on spinning. But you can only see one half of it. 


>>JASMINE: that’s so cool!


>>MAX: Yeah so escalators they aren't magic but to me they still look like magic. I love that. 


>>JASMINE: I love that too!


[THEME SONG BEGINS]


That’s it for Chompers today. Until then, rinse with water before you…


>>kids: 3, 2, 1 spit!


[THEME SONG ENDS]


>>JASMINE: Special thanks to Max Gibson our producer friend from GC.