Editor selections by Topic and Unit

The Physics Front is a free service provided by the AAPT in partnership with the NSF/NSDL.

Detail Page

Item Picture
published by the Foundation for Water & Energy Education
This resource consists of a set of annotated images illustrating each phase of hydroelectric power generation.  The virtual tour begins as water from a reservoir flows through a large pipe at the bottom of the dam and acts to power a giant turbine. The images clearly depict two types of energy transformation: 1) Gravitational potential energy transforms to mechanical energy when rushing water turns the turbine, and 2) Mechanical energy is transformed to electrical energy by the excitation of electrons within magnets in the turbine shaft  The tour concludes with images depicting the transmission and distribution of the newly-generated electricity.  Images may also be viewed as flash videos.

Please note that this resource requires Flash.
Editor's Note: The reading level of the text information is Grade 10, but the resource can be easily adapted for middle school. This website is sponsored in part by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Subjects Levels Resource Types
Classical Mechanics
- Work and Energy
= Conservation of Energy
= Mechanical Power
= Work
Electricity & Magnetism
- Electromagnetic Induction
= Motors and Generators
- High School
- Middle School
- Informal Education
- Instructional Material
= Activity
- Audio/Visual
= Image/Image Set
Appropriate Courses Categories Ratings
- Physical Science
- Physics First
- Conceptual Physics
- Algebra-based Physics
- Activity
- New teachers
  • Currently 0.0/5

Want to rate this material?
Login here!


Intended User:
Learner
Formats:
image/gif
application/flash
text/html
Access Rights:
Limited free access
Web resources are cost-free; classroom projects are available at a cost.
Restriction:
© 2002 Foundation for Water & Energy Education
Keywords:
electricity, energy transformation, generator, hydroelectric energy, renewable energy, tutorial
Record Creator:
Metadata instance created November 27, 2007 by Caroline Hall
Record Updated:
October 8, 2012 by Lyle Barbato
Last Update
when Cataloged:
November 6, 2006

AAAS Benchmark Alignments (2008 Version)

3. The Nature of Technology

3B. Design and Systems
  • 6-8: 3B/M3a. Almost all control systems have inputs, outputs, and feedback.
3C. Issues in Technology
  • 6-8: 3C/M8. Scientific laws, engineering principles, properties of materials, and construction techniques must be taken into account in designing engineering solutions to problems.

4. The Physical Setting

4E. Energy Transformations
  • 6-8: 4E/M3. Thermal energy is transferred through a material by the collisions of atoms within the material. Over time, the thermal energy tends to spread out through a material and from one material to another if they are in contact. Thermal energy can also be transferred by means of currents in air, water, or other fluids. In addition, some thermal energy in all materials is transformed into light energy and radiated into the environment by electromagnetic waves; that light energy can be transformed back into thermal energy when the electromagnetic waves strike another material. As a result, a material tends to cool down unless some other form of energy is converted to thermal energy in the material.
  • 6-8: 4E/M4. Energy appears in different forms and can be transformed within a system. Motion energy is associated with the speed of an object. Thermal energy is associated with the temperature of an object. Gravitational energy is associated with the height of an object above a reference point. Elastic energy is associated with the stretching or compressing of an elastic object. Chemical energy is associated with the composition of a substance. Electrical energy is associated with an electric current in a circuit. Light energy is associated with the frequency of electromagnetic waves.
  • 9-12: 4E/H1. Although the various forms of energy appear very different, each can be measured in a way that makes it possible to keep track of how much of one form is converted into another. Whenever the amount of energy in one place diminishes, the amount in other places or forms increases by the same amount.
4G. Forces of Nature
  • 9-12: 4G/H5c. The interplay of electric and magnetic forces is the basis for many modern technologies, including electric motors, generators, and devices that produce or receive electromagnetic waves.

8. The Designed World

8C. Energy Sources and Use
  • 6-8: 8C/M1. Transformations and transfers of energy within a system usually result in some energy escaping into its surrounding environment. Some systems transfer less energy to their environment than others during these transformations and transfers.
  • 6-8: 8C/M2. Different ways of obtaining, transforming, and distributing energy have different environmental consequences.
  • 6-8: 8C/M8. People have invented ingenious ways of deliberately bringing about energy transformations that are useful to them.

11. Common Themes

11A. Systems
  • 6-8: 11A/M2. Thinking about things as systems means looking for how every part relates to others. The output from one part of a system (which can include material, energy, or information) can become the input to other parts. Such feedback can serve to control what goes on in the system as a whole.

This resource is part of 2 Physics Front Topical Units.


Topic: Conservation of Energy
Unit Title: Energy Forms and Sources

This virtual tour begins as water from a reservoir flows through a large pipe at the bottom of a dam and acts to power a giant turbine.  Students can see how energy is transformed mechanical to electrical by the excitation of electrons within magnets inside the turbine shaft. This activity would be great teamed with the project above on building a water-powered generator.

Link to Unit:

Topic: Conservation of Energy
Unit Title: Energy Transformation

This virtual tour begins as water from a reservoir flows through a large pipe at the bottom of a dam and acts to power a giant turbine.  Students can see two types of energy transformation:  1) Gravitational Potential Energy transforms to Mechanical Energy when rushing water turns the turbine, and 2) Mechanical Energy is transformed to Electrical Energy by the excitation of electrons within magnets in the turbine shaft.

Link to Unit:
ComPADRE is beta testing Citation Styles!

Record Link
AIP Format
(Foundation for Water & Energy Education, Spokane, 2002), WWW Document, (https://fwee.org/nw-hydro-tours/walk-through-a-hydroelectric-project/).
AJP/PRST-PER
Walk through a Hydroelectric Project (Foundation for Water & Energy Education, Spokane, 2002), <https://fwee.org/nw-hydro-tours/walk-through-a-hydroelectric-project/>.
APA Format
Walk through a Hydroelectric Project. (2006, November 6). Retrieved December 9, 2024, from Foundation for Water & Energy Education: https://fwee.org/nw-hydro-tours/walk-through-a-hydroelectric-project/
Chicago Format
Foundation for Water & Energy Education. Walk through a Hydroelectric Project. Spokane: Foundation for Water & Energy Education, November 6, 2006. https://fwee.org/nw-hydro-tours/walk-through-a-hydroelectric-project/ (accessed 9 December 2024).
MLA Format
Walk through a Hydroelectric Project. Spokane: Foundation for Water & Energy Education, 2002. 6 Nov. 2006. 9 Dec. 2024 <https://fwee.org/nw-hydro-tours/walk-through-a-hydroelectric-project/>.
BibTeX Export Format
@misc{ Title = {Walk through a Hydroelectric Project}, Publisher = {Foundation for Water & Energy Education}, Volume = {2024}, Number = {9 December 2024}, Month = {November 6, 2006}, Year = {2002} }
Refer Export Format

%T Walk through a Hydroelectric Project %D November 6, 2006 %I Foundation for Water & Energy Education %C Spokane %U https://fwee.org/nw-hydro-tours/walk-through-a-hydroelectric-project/ %O image/gif

EndNote Export Format

%0 Electronic Source %D November 6, 2006 %T Walk through a Hydroelectric Project %I Foundation for Water & Energy Education %V 2024 %N 9 December 2024 %8 November 6, 2006 %9 image/gif %U https://fwee.org/nw-hydro-tours/walk-through-a-hydroelectric-project/


Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.

Citation Source Information

The AIP Style presented is based on information from the AIP Style Manual.

The APA Style presented is based on information from APA Style.org: Electronic References.

The Chicago Style presented is based on information from Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation.

The MLA Style presented is based on information from the MLA FAQ.

This resource is stored in 11 shared folders.

You must login to access shared folders.

Walk through a Hydroelectric Project:

Covers the Same Topic As NEED Project: Energy of Moving Water

A curriculum unit for middle school by the National Energy Education Development Project (NEED).

relation by Caroline Hall

Know of another related resource? Login to relate this resource to it.
Save to my folders

Supplements

Contribute

Related Materials

Similar Materials