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Spoke facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Wheel Iran
A spoked wheel on display at The National Museum of Iran, in Tehran. The wheel is dated to the late 2nd millennium BC and was excavated at Choqa Zanbil.
Cartwheel and axle assembly
The remains of a pair of cartwheels with metal axle assembly.
Ox wagon at Aliwal North
An Ox-wagon in Aliwal North, Eastern Cape. Note the three missing spokes and the metal tyre.

A spoke is one of several rods radiating from the center of a wheel (the hub where the axle connects), connecting the hub with the round traction surface.

The term originally meant the portions of a log which one had split lengthwise into four or six sections. The radial members of a wagon wheel were made by carving a spoke (from a log) into their finished shape. Eventually, the term spoke was applied to the finished product of the wheelwright's work.

Images for kids

  • Wooden Spokes

    Wooden spoke wheel with metal rim from antique truck on display in Underground Atlanta.

  • Bicycle wheel

    Metal tension-spoke wheel from a bicycle.

  • Spoke-length

    A flat view of a crossed wheel with one spoke visible

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Spoke Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.