Calculating the Speed of a Water Current
Translation details
Model:mistral-large-2512.Translated text
Section titled “Translated text”Having measured a length of 1 or 2 metres along the riverbank, we throw a stick, bark, or grass into the main current (upstream of the starting point of the measured length). We note the moment the object passes the starting point on the second hand of a watch. Then, having overtaken the floating object, we record the time at the end of the measured distance. If we have a stopwatch, the entire procedure is simplified.
Suppose that over a distance of 2 metres, the time taken for the object to float was 30 seconds; then, by dividing the number of metres by the number of seconds, we obtain the speed in metres per second. In this case, 1/15 m/s, or 4 m/min.
Apply this exercise as a competition between canoeing groups to calculate the speed of movement with the current without using paddles. At a lower level, use this method to determine the speed of the local river’s current and compare it with the speed of mountain streams.
Source scan: Polona / National Library, marked “Public Domain”. View scan — page 132.
Metadata
Section titled “Metadata”- Type: game
- Traits: Not stated in the source
- Source: Jan Jasiński, Gry i ćwiczenia terenowe (Harce terenowe) (1938)
- Printed pages: 124–125
- Digital edition: Digital edition · Source record
- Open the edition at the relevant page: p. 124
- Read the source text: gct-062