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Performance Task
Center-Pivot Irrigation
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Irrigation Design
Irrigation Design
Design a center-pivot irrigation system. Determine each of the following:
- total radius of the system
- spacing between sprinklers
- number of wheeled towers
- throw radius of each sprinkler
- number of sprinklers
- rotation speed of the system
What happens to the area irrigated by a sprinkler as the distance from the pivot point increases? Provide examples to support your answer. Using this information, explain how you can modify your system to achieve a more uniform distribution of water.
What area can be irrigated by your system in 1 hour? in 1 day?
Did You Know?
- Ancient civilizations in many parts on the world used irrigation systems.
- The earliest form involved people carrying buckets of water to pour on crops.
- As techniques developed, societies built irrigation canals, dams, and water storage facilities.
- Ancient Rome built structures called aqueducts to carry water from snowmelt in the Alps to cities and towns in the valleys below. This water was used for drinking, washing, and irrigation.
- Without irrigation, places that have irregular or seasonal rainfall cannot sustain agriculture.
- Irrigation improves crop growth and quality, which helps create a reliable food source.
Find Out More – Search Topics
- History of irrigation
- Irrigation design