The “water frame” developed by Richard Arkwright during the Industrial Revolution was a device primarily used for which of the following purposes?

Introduction / Context:
The Industrial Revolution in Britain saw many technological inventions that transformed manufacturing. Richard Arkwright was a key figure in the textile industry, and his invention called the water frame played a crucial role in mechanising spinning. Examinations in world history often test knowledge of who invented which machine and what it did. This question asks about the primary purpose of Arkwright's water frame, so you must link the invention correctly to its function in textile production.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The device is called the water frame and is associated with Richard Arkwright.
• It emerged during the Industrial Revolution, especially in the textile sector.
• The options mention painting, irrigation, yarn production and faster steamship movement.
• We assume standard textbook information on early textile machinery.

Concept / Approach:
The water frame was a spinning machine powered by water that could produce stronger, more consistent yarn than earlier hand methods. It marked an important step from domestic hand spinning to factory based production. The correct approach is to recall that Arkwright's work focused on cotton spinning and that his machine used water power to drive rollers which stretched and twisted fibres into strong yarn. Therefore, among the options, the one referring to producing strong threads of yarn is the correct function.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Associate the name Richard Arkwright with early mechanised cotton spinning rather than with painting or irrigation. Step 2: Recall that the water frame used water power to drive spinning machinery in factories, which increased speed and strength of yarn production. Step 3: Evaluate Option C, which states that the device was used for producing strong threads of yarn. This matches the known function of the water frame. Step 4: Check the other options to ensure they do not describe the correct use. Painting, irrigation and steamship propulsion do not fit the context of Arkwright's activity in the cotton industry. Step 5: Conclude that the water frame was primarily used to produce strong threads of yarn.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by recalling the sequence of textile inventions. The spinning jenny, invented by James Hargreaves, allowed multiple spindles to be operated by hand. Arkwright's water frame took spinning into water powered factories, increasing the strength and uniformity of yarn. Later, Samuel Crompton combined features of the spinning jenny and water frame in the mule. None of these developments were about painting or steamships; they were all about textile spinning. This context reinforces that the water frame was a spinning machine for yarn.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Producing a new type of painting: This is unrelated to Arkwright and the industrial textile revolution.
• Irrigating fields for rice cultivation: Although water is in the name, the water frame does not relate to agricultural irrigation.
• Enabling faster movement of steamships: Steamship technology involves engines and hull design, not Arkwright's textile machinery.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to be misled by the word water and assume that the device is some sort of irrigation or hydraulic structure. Another pitfall is to forget that Arkwright was a key figure in cotton manufacturing, not in painting or shipbuilding. Candidates should link names, inventions and sectors carefully: water frame, Arkwright and spinning in the textile industry all belong together.

Final Answer:
The water frame of Richard Arkwright was a device used for producing strong threads of yarn.