What is Archimedes' screw?
Q: What is Archimedes' screw?
A: Archimedes' screw is a machine used for raising water up, consisting of a screw inside a fairly tight-fitting cylinder.
Q: How does Archimedes' screw work?
A: 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 engine.
Q: What is the purpose of Archimedes' screw?
A: Archimedes' screw is often used for filling irrigation ditches.
Q: Who is believed to have invented Archimedes' screw?
A: Although it is not known for certain, Archimedes is always attributed to have invented the screw.
Q: Where did Archimedes write about the screw?
A: Archimedes wrote about the screw when he was in Alexandria, Egypt.
Q: What is the reverse Archimedes' screw?
A: The reverse Archimedes' screw is a kind of screw that turns when water is poured in on top. The turning drives an electric generator, which creates electricity.
Q: What are the benefits of using the reverse Archimedes' screw?
A: The reverse screw can handle very dirty water and widely varying rates of flow, with high efficiency, making it good for rivers with modest water drops ('low heads').
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