How does a cam work?

Answer 1

Basically, think of a circle. Now put a hole in it but not in the middle, more toward the top for example. Then put a spinning rod through that hole and watch it spin. That is the cam. Then add a small rod with either a ball, flat plate, or knife edge point, on the end and watch it rise up and down at the speed the circle spins at. That's how a cam works. It's only basic yes, but that idea works inside car engines, where the cam is used to push up the "intake" and "exhaust" valves on top of the engine pistons. The cam keeps this process in perfect synchronization.