Aqueduct (watercourse)

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/aqueduct-watercourse

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary engineering principle?Gravity-driven flow via a precisely calculated gradient
2. What is the construction materials?Stone, brick, mortar, and Roman concrete (opus caementicium)
3. What is an aqueduct?An aqueduct is a special bridge or channel that carries water from far away places to cities, like a giant water slide.
4. How did the Romans build aqueducts?They used careful surveying, concrete, and a very small slope so water flowed by gravity. They built tunnels, bridges, and pipes to keep the water moving.

Hydraulics: The branch of science concerned with the properties of water and its behavior when in motion.
Inverted Siphon: A structure that uses water pressure to carry water over an obstacle by flowing down and then up.
Opus Caementicium: The ancient Roman form of concrete, known for its durability and use in major constructions like aqueducts.