engineering

Sheffield Lock

Sheffield Lock is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Sheffield Lock rather than just read about it. In short: Sheffield Lock, at grid reference SU648706, is a lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal, in the civil parish of Burghfield in the English county of Berkshire. It is also sometimes known as Shenfield Lock.

Key takeaways

Sheffield Lock belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Sheffield Lock to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Sheffield Lock from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Sheffield Lock, at grid reference SU648706, is a lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal, in the civil parish of Burghfield in the English county of Berkshire. It is also sometimes known as Shenfield Lock.

History Sheffield Lock was built between 1718 and 1723 under the supervision of the engineer John Hore of Newbury, and this stretch of the river is now administered by the Canal & River Trust as part of the Kennet Navigation. It has a change in level of 2 ft 2 in (0.66 m). The lock was built in the early 18th century and was originally turf-sided. It was enlarged in the mid 18th century to cope with larger "Newbury barges" and has 20th century alterations. It consists of brick chamber walls of 11 scalloped bays, with brick coping and has 2 sets of double wooden gates, all with mechanical gate paddle gearing. The lock is Grade II listed, and a scheduled monument.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sheffield Lock

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sheffield Lock claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Sheffield Lock before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Sheffield Lock ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Sheffield Lock

In research: Sheffield Lock appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Sheffield Lock in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Sheffield Lock is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1723 establishments in England, Berkshire building and structure stubs, Buildings and structures completed in 1723, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Sheffield Lock outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Sheffield Lock in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Sheffield Lock means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Sheffield Lock out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sheffield Lock in simple terms?

Sheffield Lock, at grid reference SU648706, is a lock on the Kennet and Avon Canal, in the civil parish of Burghfield in the English county of Berkshire. It is also sometimes known as Shenfield Lock.

Why does Sheffield Lock matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Sheffield Lock?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Sheffield Lock.