Panamax

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

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/panamax

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 canal expansion completion?June 26, 2016
2. Why did the Panama Canal need special ship sizes?The Panama Canal has very specific doorways, called lock chambers, that are only a certain width and length. Because of these fixed dimensions, ships must be built small enough to pass through, so they can use the canal instead of taking a longer route.
3. How big can a Neopanamax ship be?A Neopanamax ship can be up to 1,200 feet long, 160 feet wide, and have a draft of 50 feet. These larger dimensions were made possible when the canal added new, bigger locks in 2016.

Hydro-engineering: The branch of engineering concerned with water management and control systems.
Naval Architecture: The design, construction, and maintenance of ships and other marine vessels.
Economies of Scale: The cost advantages that enterprises obtain due to their scale of operation, with cost per unit of output decreasing as scale increases.