water wheel

A mill pond is formed when a flowing stream is often dammed of water. A channel created for the water to follow while flowing to or from a water wheel is a (also spelled ) or simply a "race", and is customarily divided into sections. The race bringing water from the mill pond to the water wheel is a headrace; the one carrying water after it has left the wheel is commonly referred to as a tailrace.

A water wheel consists of a large wooden or metal wheel, with a number of or arranged on the outside rim forming the driving surface. Most commonly, the wheel is mounted vertically on a horizontal , but the or wheel is mounted horizontally on a vertical shaft. Vertical wheels can transmit power either through the axle or via a and typically drive belts or gears; horizontal wheels usually directly drive their load.

A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into more useful forms of power, a process otherwise known as . In the Middle Ages, waterwheels were used as tools to power factories throughout different counties. The alternatives were the and human and animal power. The most common use of the water wheel was to mill flour in , but other uses included foundry work and machining, and pounding for use in .