Water wheel

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/water-wheel

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 mechanical principle?Conversion of water's kinetic and potential energy into rotational mechanical power
2. How does a water wheel work?Water flows onto the wheel's blades or buckets. The force of the water pushes the wheel, making it spin. The spinning can turn gears to do work.
3. Why were water wheels important in history?Water wheels let people grind grain, forge metal, and make other things faster than by hand. They helped towns grow and made factories possible.

Torque: A twisting force that causes rotation, generated by the water's impact on the wheel.
Head (Hydraulics): The vertical distance through which water falls, representing its potential energy.
Undershot Wheel: A water wheel where the water flows beneath and pushes the paddles.