August 4, 2019

Your Questions Week - How Do Escalators Work?

by Chompers

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

Where to Listen

Transcript

[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.