The king requested that Archimedes build the biggest ship possible. This ship proved to be leaky, and Archimedes had to invent a device to remove water from it. So he designed what we now call the Archimedes screw. ... The Archimedes screw was soon also used to transport water from low-lying areas up to irrigation ditches.

Where did Archimedes invent the Archimedes screw?

Archimedes' Screw, Egypt, 250 BCE

Named for its inventor, the Greek mathematician Archimedes (237-212 BCE), the Archimedes screw is a device for raising water. Essentially, it is a large screw, open at both ends and encased lengthwise in a watertight covering.

Do we still use Archimedes screw?

Modern uses

The Archimedes Screw is still used today in some limited applications (usually electrically-powered), and can range in size from a quarter of an inch to nearly 4 meters (12 feet) in diameter. A large screw or banks of screws may be used to pump rainstorm runoff or to lift water or wastewater, for example.

What is meant by Archimedes screw what are its advantages?

Archimedean Screws are efficient, low-head, high-volume pumps that have been used for thousands of years. They are particularly useful for pumping liquids with high solids content.

What was the first Archimedes screw made of?

Not much has changed in basic screw design, and they are essentially the same as they were in ancient times. Originally, Archimedes screws were composed of wood, but gradually wood was replaced by metal. Current screws are exclusively made of metal.

Archimedes: More than Just a Screw

33 related questions found

Who invented the Archimedes screw and why?

Archimedes screw, machine for raising water, allegedly invented by the ancient Greek scientist Archimedes for removing water from the hold of a large ship.

How efficient is the Archimedes screw?

Archimedes screws can operate in low water heads (less than about 5 m) and a range of flow rates with practical efficiencies of 60% to 80% and can generate up to 355 kW of power.

What is the story behind Eureka?

Archimedes has gone down in history as the guy who ran naked through the streets of Syracuse shouting "Eureka!" — or "I have it!" in Greek. The story behind that event was that Archimedes was charged with proving that a new crown made for Hieron, the king of Syracuse, was not pure gold as the goldsmith had claimed.

Did Archimedes discover pi?

The first calculation of π was done by Archimedes of Syracuse (287–212 BC), one of the greatest mathematicians of the ancient world. ... Archimedes knew that he had not found the value of π but only an approximation within those limits. In this way, Archimedes showed that π is between 3 1/7 and 3 10/71.

How are Archimedes inventions used today?

The Archimedes screw is still used today in various forms, such as plastic reforming machines, die casting machines, or injection molding machines. The fast rotating screws that help to pump water can also be used to generate electricity.

How Archimedes was killed?

One story told about Archimedes' death is that he was killed by a Roman soldier after he refused to leave his mathematical work. However Archimedes died, the Roman general Marcus Claudius Marcellus regretted his death because Marcellus admired Archimedes for the many clever machines he had built to defend Syracuse.

What is an Archimedes screw and how is it used?

An Archimedes' screw, also known as the water screw, screw pump or Egyptian screw, is a machine used for transferring water from a low-lying body of water into irrigation ditches. Water is pumped by turning a screw-shaped surface inside a pipe.

How was the Archimedes screw used in history?

This tool had many historical uses. It was used to empty water out of leaking ships and flooded mines. Fields of crops were watered by using the screw to pull water from lakes and rivers. It was also used to reclaim flooded land, for instance in Holland where much of the land lies below sea level.

What is Archimedes screw for kids?

Archimedes' screw is a machine. It is a type of pump used for raising water up. It is a screw inside a fairly tight-fitting cylinder. With the bottom end in water, the screw lifts water up to the top, where it pours out of a spout. The screw can be turned by hand, or by a windmill, or by an engine.

Why was the screw invented?

Archimedes (287 BC - 212 BC) developed the screw principle and used it to construct devices to raise water. The water screw may have originated in Egypt before the time of Archimedes. It was constructed from wood and was used for land irrigation and to remove bilge-water from ships.

What is the purpose of screws?

Screws are widely used in threaded fasteners to hold objects together, and in devices such as screw tops for containers, vises, screw jacks and screw presses. Other mechanisms that use the same principle, also called screws, don't necessarily have a shaft or threads.

Why is a screw important?

Screws help to hold things together, such as pieces of wood or metal. Compared to ordinary nails, screws provide more strength and holding power. They also form a tighter seal. ... You've probably never given much thought to screws, but they're actually important machines.

Is an Archimedes screw a turbine?

Archimedes Screws Turbines (ASTs) are a new form of small hydroelectric powerplant that can be applied even in low head sites. ASTs offer a clean and renewable source of energy and are safer for wildlife and especially fish than other hydro generation options.

When was the claw of Archimedes invented?

The Claw of Archimedes was invented sometime around 215 BCE.

How does Archimedes screw use water to generate?

What is an Archimedes Screw Turbine? The Archimedean Screw Turbine works on the same principle as the Archimedes screw pump but in reverse. When water enters the top of the shaft the weight of the water pushes on the screw blades causing the shaft to rotate allowing the water to fall to the lower level.

How do you move water uphill?

Place one container of water on the higher level and an empty box at the lower “surface.” In “containers with water,” put one end of the hose. Filling the “hose with water” in a way that it might be dipped completely or by sucking water. Air should not enter the hose by keeping one end dipped and the other covered.

Who created math?

Archimedes is known as the Father of Mathematics. Mathematics is one of the ancient sciences developed in time immemorial.