Did Archimedes Invent the Screw?
One of the problems in trying to keep Before Eureka! The Adventures of Young Archimedes historically correct was trying to determine which inventions attributed to Archimedes were really his. At one time or another Archimedes has been credited with the compound pulley, the odometer, the ship’s propeller, a mechanical “computer” that showed the motions of the planets and Moon, and a mirror that could set ships on fire. One of the most intriguing questions is whether he invented the common screw, which began to be used about the time he lived [287 to 212 BC].
The common screw is a simple machine that is exceptionally versatile. Essentially a helical (three-dimensional spiral) coil, it changes rotational motion to linear motion. It is used to hold together two pieces of wood, tighten a lid onto a jar, remove a cork from a bottle, connect a light bulb to a lamp, attach a hubcap to a tire. In each case, the screw changes rotational motion to linear motion. Some suggest the ancient Greek mathematician Archytas of Tarentum, who lived about a century before Archimedes, invented the common screw, but there is little evidence for this.
A similar device for lifting a fluid to a higher level, known as the Archimedean Screw, is almost always attributed to Archimedes. When the lower end of the device is placed in water and the screw is rotated, water slowly rises in the tube. For many centuries the device was commonly used to raise water from one level to another—for irrigating fields, pumping out ships, and so on. It is still used to raise oil in some modern engines.
The Archimedean screw is based on the same principal as the common screw—changing rotation into linear motion—and the timing seems right. Also, Archimedes is known to have studied the spiral—the two-dimensional cousin of the helix—using it to create constructions for trisecting angles or squaring circles. So it seems plausible that he investigated practical ways to use spirals and helices. But Archimedes is said to have placed no value on his inventions, preferring to be known for mathematics. He never described in writing his inventions. And so, a mystery remains.
The common screw is a simple machine that is exceptionally versatile. Essentially a helical (three-dimensional spiral) coil, it changes rotational motion to linear motion. It is used to hold together two pieces of wood, tighten a lid onto a jar, remove a cork from a bottle, connect a light bulb to a lamp, attach a hubcap to a tire. In each case, the screw changes rotational motion to linear motion. Some suggest the ancient Greek mathematician Archytas of Tarentum, who lived about a century before Archimedes, invented the common screw, but there is little evidence for this.
A similar device for lifting a fluid to a higher level, known as the Archimedean Screw, is almost always attributed to Archimedes. When the lower end of the device is placed in water and the screw is rotated, water slowly rises in the tube. For many centuries the device was commonly used to raise water from one level to another—for irrigating fields, pumping out ships, and so on. It is still used to raise oil in some modern engines.
The Archimedean screw is based on the same principal as the common screw—changing rotation into linear motion—and the timing seems right. Also, Archimedes is known to have studied the spiral—the two-dimensional cousin of the helix—using it to create constructions for trisecting angles or squaring circles. So it seems plausible that he investigated practical ways to use spirals and helices. But Archimedes is said to have placed no value on his inventions, preferring to be known for mathematics. He never described in writing his inventions. And so, a mystery remains.
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S.T.E.M. History Update
The history of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics has been my main reading and writing interest for most of my life, now enriched by adding a novel, "Before Eureka!," to many works that
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