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Ingenium Canada Science and Technology Museum

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Archimedes Screw

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Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday
Address
1867 St Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, ON
Admission
Browse all Visitor Information for Canada Science and Technology Museum
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Archimedes Screw

Archimedes screw
Download activity PDF

Moving water downhill is easy, but uphill? Not so straightforward. In this experiment, create an Archimedes screw to — seemingly — fight gravity to get water up an incline!

What you need

  • Empty paper towel roll
  • Flexible clear tubing, a few centimetres in diameter (found at hardware stores)
  • Bowl
  • Food colouring
  • Tap water

Make it

  1. Make one end of the paper towel roll water-resistant by wrapping duct tape around it on the outside.
  2. Wrap the tubing around the roll in a spiraling fashion. It should reach from the bottom to the top of the tube, with a bit of overhang on both ends.
  3. Duct tape it on, without covering the holes. Make sure most of the tubing is still visible.
  4. Fill the bowl with water, and mix in a few drops of food colouring.
  5. Put the duct taped end of the roll into the water bowl. Hold it at a 30-degree angle from the table.
  6. Move the drinking glass so that it is below the top end of the roll.

Test it

There is a hole in the clear tubing at the bottom of the roll. You want to turn the roll in the direction so that the hole is turned into the water, instead of away. If the tubing is in a counterclockwise spiral from bottom to top, you’ll turn it clockwise (or vice versa). Keep turning it and watch the water rise!

Explain it

The water in the tube is subject to gravity, so it always wants to be as low to the ground as possible. When your screw is on an angle, the lowest point moves upward as it is spun. At any given point, going “backwards” (toward the bowl) would mean that the water would have to go uphill, which it cannot do on its own! Because of this, the water will remain stuck unless a force (from spinning) is applied.

Observe it

Screws like this are still used sometimes in wastewater treatment plants. One of the biggest advantages that this simple machine provides is that it allows for the passage of solid debris in the liquid — something that’s useful when treating sewage!

Go further

Try another round with the roll at a 90-degree angle from the table. Doesn’t work, does it? Just like a spiraling waterslide, the Archimedes screw does not work vertically; it must be on an incline. Otherwise, all of the water rushes out of the bottom. Can you figure out why?

Archimedes screw materials
Archimedes screw step 1
Archimedes screw step 3
Archimedes screw step 5
Archimedes screw step 6

Program Details

SCITECH
Canada Science and Technology Museum
Duration
15 minutes
Difficulty Level:
Medium
Program Location
Online
  • View all programs at the Canada Science and Technology Museum
  • View other programs related to Sciences, Marine Transportation

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About Canada Science and Technology Museum

Canada Science and Technology Museum
The Canada Science and Technology Museum tells Canada's innovation story in an immersive, educational, and fun way.
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Contact Us

Canada Science and Technology Museum
1867 St Laurent Blvd
Ottawa ON K1G 5A3
Canada

613-991-3044
1-866-442-4416
contact@IngeniumCanada.org
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  • Plan Your Visit
    • Health and Safety
    • Hours
    • Admission
    • Location and Directions
    • Accessibility
    • Browse All Visitor Information
    • Buy Tickets
    • Online Resources for Science at Home
    • About the Museum
  • What's On at the Museum
    • Events
    • Exhibitions
    • Spaces and Studios
  • Bookings and Rentals
    • School Programs
    • Birthday Parties
    • Summer Camps
    • Venue Rentals
    • Travelling Exhibitions
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Group Visits
  • Educational Programs
    • School Programs
    • Virtual Field Trips
    • Program Location
      • At the Museum
      • At Your School
      • Online
      • Browse all Educational Programs
    • Popular Links
      • 3D Educational Resources
      • Digital Learning Kits
      • Games and Apps
      • Online Resources for Science at Home
      • Tell Me About
      • Try This Out
  • Collection and Research
    • Research Institute
    • Research Projects
    • Collection Resources
      • Ingenium Collection
      • Collection Highlights
      • Conservation and Collection Services
    • Library and Archives
      • Library and Archives Services
      • Library Catalogue
      • Digital Archives
    • Open Access
      • Ingenium APIs
      • Open Data
      • Open Documents
  • Projects and Initiatives
    • Ingenium Channel
    • Curiosity on Stage
    • Women in STEM
    • Aquatic Science Initiatives
    • Climate Science
    • Innovation Storybook