how can you estimate the velocity of a stream?

Answer 1

Pick a place where the stream is straight. Mark off a distance d along the shore. Put a paper boat in the water and measure time, t, that long it takes the boat to travel the distance d.
Then rate of stream = d/t.

Alternatively, you could make a waterwheel of radius r and determine how many revolutions (n) the waterwheel makes in t seconds. Then 2pi r n /t = rate of stream.

Answer 2

velocity is speed with direction. Place 2 markers on the bank of stream. Measure distance. Place an object in water at first marker. A leaf or stick is not very good. A leaf does not have enough mass and can be affected easily by friction(wind resistance) and a stick is too large(surface area), also affected by wind resistance. a ping pong ball would work well or something like that. Try to do it on a day with no wind. Time how long it takes to get from marker 1 to 2. You may need help if the stream is moving faster then you can run to marker 2.

if it takes 4 seconds to get to marker 2, the speed is 10ft/4 seconds. 2.5 ft/second. then convert that to whatever you need (mph, meters/second, etc.) Direction is obvious

Answer 3

If the cross section of the stream is known and the volumetric rate of flow is known, then the rate can be calculated by dividing the volumetric rate by the cross section of the stream. If the stream is in a free fall then its trajectory is dictated by gravity. By measuring the initial height of the stream the time it takes to fall is the square-root of 2 times the height in meters divided by 9.8 (giving a result in seconds). Measuring the horizontal distance the stream traveled and dividing by that time gives the stream velocity. This all assumes the stream flow begins as being level to the ground. If it is not level you have to factor in the angle with trigonometry.

For a contrained steam, like a river, the other methods described would work fine (ie. drop in a leaf and see how long it takes to cover a know distance and then divide distance by time).

Answer 4

first set a marker at the edge of the bank and another one exactly 10 metres from the first one. then put a floating object in the river adjacent to the the first marker, calculate the time taken for the float to move from the first to the second marker. Then just divide the disance by the time taken.

Answer 5

By measuring how long does it take for a floating object to pass between two points whose distance is known.

Answer 6

Jump in feet first and see how far you go in an hour or two.

Answer 7

toss a stick or leaf into it and look at the spped of the stick. It helps if you're on a bridge and you're playing pooh-sticks...