River Flow Rate
Students build on their understanding and feel for flow rates, as gained from the associated Faucet Flow Rate activity, to estimate the flow rate of a local river. The objective is to be able to relate laboratory experiment results to the environment. They use the U.S. Geological Survey website (https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt) to determine the actual flow rate data for their river, and compare their estimates to the actual flow rate. For this activity to be successful, choose a nearby river and take a field trip or show a video so students gain a visual feel for the flow of the nearby river.
The Coon Rapids Dam along the Mississippi River.Copyright Wikimedia Commons http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coon_Rapids_River_Dam_-_Coon_Rapids,_Minnesota.jpg
Civil engineers design the systems that bring water from natural resources, such as rivers or lakes, to the communities where that water is needed. Civil engineers also oversee natural systems, such as river basins and watersheds, for flood control and drought mitigation. Completing this activity gives students a greater understanding for what civil engineers who design water systems do, as well as the skills they use.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Use experimental data to formulate hypotheses.
- Use the Internet to find the flow rate of a specific river.
- Analyze discrepancies between estimated and actual data.