What Makes a River Flow Faster Than Another?

Rivers flow at different speeds because of how steep they are and what's in their way. Imagine a river like a slide, the steeper the slide, the faster you go! If there are rocks or plants blocking the way, it slows down. Rivers with fewer obstacles and more slope zoom along like race cars.

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Examples

A river that flows down a steep mountain is faster than one that winds through a flat plain.
Rocks in the river make it slower, like adding traffic to a highway.
A wide river moves more slowly because there's more space for water to spread out.

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Categories: Environment · rivers,hydrology,geography