Work and Power: Waterwheel
Students explore waterwheels and the work and energy asscoiated with their movementCopyright Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Goyet_Overshot_water_wheel.JPG
Investigating a waterwheel illustrates to students the physical properties of energy. They learn that the concept of work, force acting over a distance, differs from power, which is defined as force acting over a distance over some period of time. Students create a model waterwheel and use it to calculate the amount of power produced and work done.
While designing elevators, power plants or race cars, mechanical engineers take into consideration the concepts of both work and power. Engineers who design automobile engines consider whether the engine will be used in a high-performance or economical car. A high-performance engine is able to quickly accelerate and has a high power rating; it is also more expensive to manufacture. Thus, an engineer designs an engine for an economical car with a lower power rating to reduce the overall manufacturing cost of the car.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Make a connection between the concepts of power and work and engineering design.
- Describe how a waterwheel can produce mechanical and electrical power.
- Explain how the concept of the conservation of energy applies to real-world scenarios.