SS Archimedes

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/ss-archimedes

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 vessel type?Steamship
2. What is the year of construction?1839
3. Why was the screw propeller a big deal?The screw propeller turned inside the water, giving the ship more speed, better stability, and keeping the engine safe from rough seas.
4. How does a screw propeller move a ship?The propeller has helical blades that spin on a shaft; as they turn, they push water backward, which pushes the ship forward, following Newton’s third law.

Screw Propeller: A rotating helical device that generates thrust by moving fluid, typically water, backward.
Paddle Wheels: External wheels with flat boards used for propulsion, common before screw propellers became dominant.
Naval Architecture: The engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction, and maintenance of ships and other marine vessels.
Newton's Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, a principle governing propulsion.