It's a tool that has never gone out of style. For instance, it is used to lift wastewater in water treatment plants and even to lift water in some amusement park rides. The design is so effective that it is still being used today.
The Archimedes screw was soon also used to transport water from low-lying areas up to irrigation ditches. It was very effective because it got rid of the water and only required one person to operate it. So he designed what we now call the Archimedes screw. This ship proved to be leaky, and Archimedes had to invent a device to remove water from it. The king requested that Archimedes build the biggest ship possible. He liked to solve problems and was one of the most important inventors of his time. In this activity you will build your own hand-powered Archimedes screw from simple materials.Īrchimedes of Syracuse was born in the 3rd century B.C. This tool is so useful that it is still in widespread use today.
Can you think of a way to make water run uphill-without using electricity? The ancient Greeks discovered how to do just this! They developed a device called the Archimedes screw to lift water from one location to another.
