Water Power
Students observe a model waterwheel to investigate the transformations of energy involved in turning the blades of a hydro-turbine. They work as engineers to create model waterwheels while considering resources such as time and materials, in their designs. Students also discuss and explore the characteristics of hydropower plants.
What energy transformations are involved with a waterwheel?Copyright https://pixabay.com/p-352244/?no_redirect
Dams capture energy from a renewable energy source - water - and can reduce the amount of fossil fuels used to generate electricity. Civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, software and environmental engineers design and re-design hydroelectric dams to make them more environmentally-friendly and generate more electricity.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Identify dams as a source of hydropower.
- Explain the advantages and disadvantages of human-made dams.
- Explain how engineers design and redesign hydropower technologies.
- Use counting to measure the rate of revolution of a waterwheel.