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1. What were methods they used to produce energy? Many ancient cultures learned to harness the power of water with the mechanical device called the waterwheel. Roman engineers during the 1st century BC are known to have built upright paddle wheels, called undershot wheels, that turned with the rivers current. They were turned by water striking their lower paddles and then they raised that water to channels above the river wheels. Many cultures also used oxen and horses to pull plows and sometimes to turn energy converting devices like mills.
2. What was the energy they produced used for? Though it depended on the culture, most energy was used to move things, such as nets, water, and wood. Windmills were used to drain marshes, to pump water, and to drive the machinery used for milling grain, sawing wood, and producing paper.
3. How are the methods still used? In many southern farms, the water and windmill are still used. The modern watermill is similar to the upgraded undershot wheel. Windmill designs have also stayed similar to those that the ancient cultures used.
5. How did the use and types of methods vary depending on culture? If a culture lived closer to a river, the water wheel would be a more useful resource to embrace for moving water to farm land or for lifting fish nets. But for example, if a culture was more desert but with a lot of wind and farming, wind and horse power would be a better choice.
6.Was their any resemblance in methods of different cultures? Many cultures, that had no communication with other nations, developed highly similar forms of water wheels and horse power harnessing devices such as the horse drawn plow. The windmill was a spreading idea, that started in Persia but traveled through the Middle East and was brought to Europe by the Crusaders in the 13th century.
4. In what time periods were they developed? The Stone Age was the beginning of any fire power, as humans had just learned to control it for cooking. The upturn wheel was first developed in the Iron Age, and then upgraded in the Middle Ages. Steam power was produced during the Industrial Revolution. Windmills were first developed by a Persian grain-mill designer in 644 AD.
Questions: Energy in History and Across Cultures
7. Where did most energy come from (example: horses, water, etc.) Most energy came from water. Since many cultures could easily access a moving current, harnessing the energy coming from the force of the water was a simple easy was to produce the power they need to grind grain, lift water, and other purposes. During the Industrial Revolution, rising steam to turn turbines began to replace the water and wind power previously used and became a main source.
9. Were there flaws in any of the methods? If so, where? The first undershot wheels were not very efficient because they only caught the horizontal motion of current and at best could produce only about three horsepower. The ox drawn plow also was not very efficient, so it was changed to a horse drawn plow.
8.Why did the methods change? In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the traditional ox drawn plow and power producer, was changed to mostly horse powered devices and power producers. Also the undershot wheel was modified into a much more efficient producer, used to grind grain in a mill. They were changed because as man grew, more and more power needed to be produced, so new methods needed to be investigated. For example, today with all our cars, planes, and other vehicles, it’s not possible to power them all with wind or water power, so we tried fossil fuels, which suit the needs of an engine well.
10 What is the practicality of using the same methods today for our needs and stay renewable? Many of the methods that are being used today are efficient. The waterwheel, windmill, and horse drawn plows all avoid the use of fossil fuels. Steam power has also been used, but in a newer way than before. Nuclear power used steam from the fusion of atoms to turn turbines.
