The Panama Canal opened on August 15, 1914. The canal reduced shipping costs by cutting 7,000 miles off the voyage from New York to San Francisco. It allowed the United States to increase and extend American naval power by allowing the fleet to move between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The canal was an engineering wonder. Many canals use a form of the lock system employed by the Panama Canal. The diagram below shows how locks, such as those used on the Panama Canal, work.
In your own words, write a step-by step description in the space below of how the locks operate in a canal as a ship travels from an entry point to an exit. Be sure to provide enough details to show that you understand how the system works.
| Your Responses | Sample Answers |
|---|---|
| Answers may vary, but they should include most of the following information: A ship at the level of the sea enters the first rectangular lock through an open gate. The far gate of the lock is shut. Once the ship is inside the lock, the entry gate is closed, making the lock watertight. Water is pumped into the lock through large pipes to raise the water level and the ship. Then the far gate is opened and the ship enters the next lock. | |
