Archimedes Screw

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Project Brief: Ever wondered how people used to pump water to elevated surfaces without using motors? Once there was an inventor named Archimedes, he traveled to Egypt where he saw that people actually carried water with them in a tank to a certain elevation. Archimedes started designing a device consisting of a lever and a screw that could transport water from low-lying areas to higher elevations. The people of Egypt called this device "The Archimedes Screw," which is a screw designed to lift liquids from one level to another. Put simply, it's a pump, and in this activity we'll be designing our own screw to understand its functionality. Learning Objectives: Converting rotary motion into linear motion. Conversion of energy. Lever mechanisms. Students will be able to identify simple machines. Understanding how design parameters affect performance. Knowing how civilizations moved water throughout the centuries. Procedure and Assembly: Introduce students to the Archimedes screw from the story on how it originated. Mention its different applications. Show them videos explaining the proper working of the screw, such as at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-xPRbj88V4 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IsqAejuaBw&t=2s. For the working assembly, assemble two bases and a screw with levers. Create a setup containing three bowls at different elevations. Add water to only the first bowl at the lowest elevation (ground). Run the screw and show everyone how water is being transported to the uppermost bowl. Repeat this activity to give students a hands-on experience. Design Evaluating Parameters: Make sure the screw is perfectly aligned in a straight line, with no angular deflection between the two joining screws. Also, ensure that there is no leakage at the junction of the two bases and that the lever has enough space around for free rotation. Discussion with Students: Ask students how the flow rate will change if the angle is changed. Ask them if the screw can work at 0 degrees. Ask students if it's possible to run a generator using the flow of water. Ask them to suggest ways to optimize the design based on the videos shown. Ask them to suggest solutions to change rotary motion to lateral and vice versa. Ask them different ways to transport water from lower grounds to higher elevations.