What is a water wheel?
Q: What is a water wheel?
A: A water wheel is a machine that extracts power from the flow of water.
Q: What was the most common use of water wheels in the Middle Ages?
A: The most common use of water wheels was to mill flour in gristmills.
Q: What other uses were there for water wheels?
A: Other uses for water wheels included foundry work, machining, and pounding linen for paper.
Q: How is a water wheel constructed?
A: A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with blades or buckets arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface.
Q: How are vertical water wheels mounted?
A: Vertical water wheels are mounted vertically on a horizontal axle, and can transmit power either through the axle or via a ring gear and typically drive belts or gears.
Q: How are horizontal water wheels mounted?
A: Horizontal water wheels are mounted horizontally on a vertical shaft, and usually directly drive their load.
Q: What is a "tailrace"?
A: A "tailrace" is a channel created for the water to follow after leaving the wheel.
