Wonders of Water Student

Wonders of WaterStudent Guide

ELEMENTARY

2017-2018

2 Wonders of Water

Energy is many things. Energy is light. Energy is heat. Energy makes things grow. Energy makes things move. Energy is electricity to run machines. Energy is the power to change things. Energy is the ability to do work.

What is Energy?

Energy is LightWe use light energy to see. Our light during the day comes from the sun. At night, we turn on light bulbs powered by electricity. We also burn candles. Flashlights use batteries to make light.

Energy is HeatWe use energy to make heat. We burn fuel to cook our food. The food we eat helps our bodies stay warm. When it is cold outside, we use energy to heat our homes. A campfire makes heat, too.

Factories burn fuel to make the products they sell. Some power plants burn coal and natural gas to make electricity.

Energy Makes Things GrowAll living things need energy to grow. Plants use light from the sun to grow. Plants change the sun’s energy into sugar. The sugar is stored in their roots and leaves and provides nourishment for the plant. This process is called photosynthesis.

Animals cannot change light energy into sugars. Neither can people. We eat plants and use the energy stored in them to grow.

Light

Heat

Tree

e

©2017 The NEED Project 8408 Kao Circle, Manassas, VA 20110 1.800.875.5029 www.NEED.org 3

Energy Makes Things MoveIt takes energy to make things move. Cars use the energy in gasoline to speed down the highway. Many toys run on the energy stored in batteries. Sailboats glide across the bay, pushed by the energy in the wind.

Water flows down creeks and rivers from mountain tops to the ocean, pulled by the force of gravity. Leaves that fall from the trees on the river bank are carried down by the water, too.

After a long game of soccer, you may feel too tired to move. You’ve run out of energy. You need to eat some food to refuel.

Energy Runs MachinesIt takes energy to run our TVs, video games, computers, and microwaves. This energy is in the form of electricity.

We use electricity every day. It gives us light and heat. It runs our games and appliances. What would your life be like without electricity?

We can make electricity by burning coal, oil, gas, and even trash. We can make electricity from the energy that holds atoms together. We can make electricity with energy from the sun, the wind, and moving water.

Computer

4 Wonders of Water

Energy is ChangeWhen we use energy, it does not disappear. We change it into other forms of energy. When we burn wood, we change its energy into heat and light. When we drive a car, we change the energy in gasoline into heat and motion. When we eat food, we change its energy into motion and heat.

Energy is the Ability to Do WorkThe word work means many things. Your parents may leave the house every morning to go to work. Exercise is often called working out. Your teacher gives you homework to do. You might think that work is the opposite of play.

In science, work has a different meaning. Work is using a force to move an object across a distance. To do work, there must be energy. Energy is the ability to do work.

Think about playing soccer. A soccer ball cannot move by itself. You must kick it. The food you eat gives your body energy. Your muscles use this energy to kick (a force) the ball.

The soccer ball (the object) rolls (moves) across the field (distance) to score a goal. You have just done work! Would you have done work if you had missed the goal? Yes, the ball still moved across a distance.

GAS STATION

SOCCER

Energy allows you to play soccer and move the ball down the field.


Energy SourcesIn the United States we use ten energy sources to do work. We put these sources into two categories: nonrenewable and renewable.

The nonrenewable energy sources we use are petroleum, coal, natural gas, propane, and uranium. These sources are found in the Earth. It takes a very long time for the Earth to produce these sources. Once we use them, we can’t use them again or get them back quickly. We use nonrenewable energy sources to move our cars, heat our homes, and make electricity.

Renewable energy sources can be used over and over again. It does not take very long to replenish the supply of these resources, so we will never run out. Renewable energy sources are biomass, hydropower, solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy. Day after day, the sun shines, the wind blows, and the rivers flow. We use renewable energy sources mainly to make electricity.

Nonrenewable sources are relatively inexpensive and we can use them 24 hours a day. Some renewable sources like solar and wind are free to use, because no one owns the sun or the wind. The machines and parts needed to turn these sources into energy we can use can be expensive, however. Every source of energy has advantages and disadvantages to using it.

Data: Energy Information Administration*Total does not equal 100% due to independent rounding.

BIOMASS 5%Uses: heating, electricity,transportation

HYDROPOWER 2%Uses: electricity

NATURAL GAS 29%Uses: heating,manufacturing, electricity - Includes Propane

PETROLEUM 37%Uses: transportation,manufacturing - Includes Propane

PROPANE Uses: heating,manufacturing

URANIUM 9%Uses: electricity

WIND 2%Uses: electricity

SOLAR <1%Uses: heating, electricity

Nonrenewable Sources

Nonrenewable Energy Sources and Percentage of Total Energy Consumption

Renewable Sources

Renewable Energy Sources and Percentage of Total Energy Consumption

91%9%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%0%PERCENTAGE OF UNITED STATES ENERGY USE

U.S. Consumption of Energy by Source, 2015

COAL 16%Uses: electricity,manufacturing

GEOTHERMAL <1%Uses: heating, electricity

*Propane consumption is included in petroleum and natural gas �gures.

6 Wonders of Water

Electricity is MysteriousElectricity is a mysterious form of energy. We cannot see it like we see the sun. We cannot hold it like we hold coal. We know when it is working, but it is hard to understand exactly what it is.

Before we can understand electricity, we need to know about atoms.

What are Atoms?Everything is made of atoms—every star, every tree, every animal. Even you and I are made of atoms. The air and water are too. Atoms are the building blocks of the universe. They are very, very tiny particles. Millions of atoms would fit on the head of a pin.

Atoms are Made of Even Smaller ParticlesAn atom looks like the sun with the planets spinning around it. The center is called the nucleus. It is made of protons and neutrons. Electrons move around the nucleus in clouds, or energy levels, far from the nucleus.

Electricity

PROTON

NEUTRONNUCLEUS

ELECTRON

Atom

LIGHTNING

Lightning is a form of electrical energy.

Atom


Protons and Electrons Attract Each OtherElectrons stay in their levels because a special force holds them there—protons and electrons are attracted to each other. Protons have a positive charge (+) and the electrons have a negative charge (–). Opposite charges attract each other.

Electricity is Moving ElectronsThe electrons near the nucleus are held tight to the atom. Sometimes, the ones farthest away are not. We can push some of these electrons out of their energy levels. We can move them. Moving electrons are called electricity.

Magnets are Special We call one end of a magnet the north (N) pole and the other end the south (S) pole. A magnet is a special type of material that has a force of energy around it called a magnetic field. The force of the magnetic field flows from the north pole to the south pole.

Have you ever held two magnets close to each other? They do not act like most objects. If you try to push the two north poles together, they repel each other. If you try to push the two south poles together, they repel each other.

Turn one magnet around and the north and the south poles attract. The magnets stick to each other with a strong force. Just like protons and electrons, opposites attract.

Bar Magnet

Like PolesLike poles of magnets (N-N or S-S) repel each other.

Opposite PolesOpposite poles of magnets (N-S) attract each other.

OUTER ENERGY LEVEL

Carbon AtomA carbon atom has six protons and six neutrons in the nucleus, two electrons in the inner energy level, and four electrons in the outer energy level.

INNER ENERGY LEVEL

PROTONS (+)

ELECTRONS (–)

NEUTRONS

NUCLEUS

Like Poles

Opposite Poles

Bar Magnets

Carbon Atom

A carbon atom has six protons and six neutrons in the nucleus, two electrons in the inner energy level, and four electrons in the outer energy level.

Like poles of magnets (N-N or S-S) repel each other.

Opposite poles of magnets (N-S) attract each other.

8 Wonders of Water

Magnets Can Make ElectricityWe can use magnets to make electricity. A magnetic field can push and pull electrons to make them move. Some metals, like copper, have electrons that are easily pushed from their energy levels.

Magnetism and electricity are related. Magnets can create electricity and electricity can create magnetic fields. Every time a magnetic field changes, an electric field is created. Every time an electric field changes, a magnetic field is created.

Magnetism and electricity are always linked together; you cannot have one without the other. This is called electromagnetism.

Power Plants Use MagnetsPower plants use huge magnets to make, or generate, electricity. In a generator, big coils of copper wire spin inside the magnets. As they spin, the magnetic fields push and pull electrons in the wire. But how do we make the generator spin to generate electricity?

We need energy to run the generator to make electricity. A device called a turbine is connected to the generator to make it spin. A turbine is made of several blades, like a fan. These blades spin and are connected to a rod or shaft that turns the coils or magnets in the generator. We can make a turbine spin using moving air, water, or steam.

We Generate Electricity With Many Fuels In the U.S., coal is the top energy source for making electricity. It generates about 33% of the electricity we use. Power plants burn the coal to heat water. When the water gets very hot, it expands and turns into steam. The steam is under high pressure and rushes through pipes to spin turbines. The turbines are connected to generators. As the turbines spin, the generators spin to make electricity.

Moving water—hydropower—is the leading renewable energy source that generates electricity. In a hydropower plant, the flowing water is used to spin turbines to generate electricity.

GENERATOR

MAGNETS

COPPER COILS

ROTATING SHAFT

The copper coils spin inside a ring of magnets. This creates an electric �eld, producing electricity.

Generator


We Get Our Electricity Through WiresA power plant makes electricity. The electricity flows through power lines called transmission lines held up by power towers. The transmission lines carry large amounts of electricity to electric poles in cities and towns.

Distribution lines carry small amounts of electricity from the electric poles to houses and businesses. The electricity flows through the wires in our homes, providing the energy to operate our lights, machines, and appliances.

There are Other Ways to Produce ElectricityElectricity can also be produced in other ways. A solar cell turns radiant energy from the sun into electricity. A battery turns chemical energy into electricity.

A battery produces electricity using two different metals in a chemical solution. A chemical reaction between the metals and the chemicals pushes electrons free from their energy levels.

One end of the battery is attached to one of the metals; the other end is attached to the other metal. One end has more electrons pushed away and develops a positive charge. The other end develops a negative charge. If a wire is attached from one end of the battery to the other, electrons flow through the wire to balance the electrical charge.

A load is a device that does work or performs a job. If a load—such as a light bulb—is placed along the wire, the electricity can do work as it flows through the wire.

In the picture of the battery and the light, electrons flow from one end of the battery through the wire to the light bulb. The electricity flows through the wire inside the light bulb and back to the other end of the battery.

Transporting Electricity

Power Plant

Transformers

Transmission Lines Power Tower

Home

Distribution Lines

Electric Poles

10 Wonders of Water

Electricity Flows in CircuitsElectricity travels in closed loops called circuits. Electricity must have a complete path before the electrons can move. If a circuit is open, the electrons cannot flow. When we flip on a light switch, we close a circuit. The electric current flows from the wire through the light and back into the wire. When we flip the switch off, we open the circuit. No electricity flows to the light.

When a light bulb burns out, the circuit is also opened. The path through the bulb is gone. The bulb will no longer light.

We Use Electricity Every DayElectricity does a lot of work for us. We use it many times each day. It lights our homes, warms and cools them, and helps us keep them clean. It runs our TVs, VCRs, DVD players, video games, computers, and fax machines. It cooks our food and washes our dishes. It can power our lawn mowers. It can even run our cars.

Electricity is different from the other energy sources because it is a secondary source of energy. We must use another energy source to produce it.

A closed circuit is a complete path allowing electricity to �ow from the energy source to the load.

ENERGY SOURCE

WIRESFLOW OF ELEC TRONS

LOAD

CLOSED SWITCH

An open circuit has a break in the path. There is no �ow of electricity because the electrons cannot complete the circuit.

ENERGY SOURCE

WIRES

LOAD

OPEN SWITCH

+–

+–

Electrical Circuits

FLOW OF ELEC TRONS

Microwave Projector

Television Video Game System

Machines That Use Electricity

Electric Circuits

A closed circuit is a complete path allowing electricity to flow from the energy source to the load.

An open circuit has a break in the path. There is no flow of electricity because the electrons cannot complete the circuit.


Water is Found in Three States of MatterWater covers 75 percent of the Earth’s surface. It is found in three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. The solid state is ice. The liquid state is water. The gas state is often invisible and is called water vapor.

Water can change between these states in six ways:

• Freezing changes liquid water into ice.

• Melting changes ice into liquid water.

• Evaporation changes liquid water into water vapor, which is sometimes called steam.

• Condensation changes water vapor into liquid water. For example, morning dew on the grass comes from water vapor.

• Sublimation changes ice or snow into water vapor without passing through the liquid state. The ice or snow seems to disappear without melting first.

• Deposition changes water vapor into ice without the vapor becoming a liquid first. Water vapor falls to the ground as snow.

Wonders of Water

Liquid: WaterSolid: Ice Gas: Water Vapor

12 Wonders of Water

Water Changes State in a CycleOn Earth, water is continually changing from a liquid state to a vapor state and back again. Energy from the sun evaporates liquid water from oceans, lakes, and rivers, changing it into water vapor.

As warm air over the Earth rises, it carries the water vapor into the atmosphere where the temperatures are colder. The water vapor cools and condenses into a liquid state in the atmosphere. It forms clouds. Inside of clouds, drops of water join together to form bigger and bigger drops. As the drops become heavy, they start to fall. The clouds release the liquid water as rain or snow that falls back to Earth. It is pulled to the ground by the force of gravity. The rivers, lakes, and oceans are replenished, and the cycle starts again. This is the water cycle.

SOLAR ENERGY

CONDENSATION(Gas to Liquid)

PRECIPITATION(Liquid or Solid)EVAPORATION

(Liquid to Gas)EVAPORATION(Liquid to Gas)

OCEANS, LAKES, RIVERS(Liquid)

The Water CycleThe Water Cycle


Water has Been Used as a Source of Energy for Many YearsWater has been used as a source of energy for centuries. The Greeks used water wheels to grind wheat into flour more than 2,000 years ago. In the early 1800s, American and European factories used water wheels to power machines.

The oldest dams were built over 5,000 years ago to irrigate crops in Mesopotamia. In 2900 BCE, Egyptians in the city of Memphis built a dam around the city. The dam protected the city from flooding by the Nile River and created a reservoir for drinking water.

In 1881, the street lamps in Niagara Falls, NY were lit using hydropower. Today, there are about 84,000 dams in the United States, but only 2,200 were built to generate electricity. The rest were built to control flooding, irrigate crops, or provide a reliable water supply.

Water wheel

Niagara Falls

14 Wonders of Water

A Dam That Generates Electricity is a Hydropower PlantHydropower (hydro means water) is energy that comes from the force of moving water. Usually a dam is built across a river, forming a lake called a reservoir behind the dam.

There are three main parts of a hydropower plant. The reservoir stores the water. The dam holds back the water. There are openings in the dam to control its flow. The power plant captures the energy of the moving water using a turbine.

The process begins with water flowing from the reservoir into penstocks, which are very large pipes. The distance the water drops is called the head; the farther the water drops, the greater the head. The amount of moving water is called the flow; more flow equals more force.

The water flows down the penstocks to turbines at the bottom, spinning the turbines to power generators. The generators use the motion energy from the turbine to produce electricity. The electricity is sent to power lines that carry it to consumers.

The water that entered the penstocks returns to the river below the dam and continues its downstream journey.

Electricity from HydropowerAbout 17 percent of the world’s electricity is from hydropower. In the United States, 5–10 percent of our electricity comes from hydropower, depending on rainfall. In 2015, six percent of U.S. electricity was made using hydropower. That’s enough power for 25 million households.

Using hydropower to produce electricity has many advantages, but it has disadvantages too because of its impact on the environment.

RIVER

SWITCHYARD

view from aboveMAGNETS

COPPER COILS

ROTATING SHAFT

1. Water in a reservoir behind a hydropower dam �ows through an intake screen, which �lters out large debris, but allows smaller �sh to pass through.

2. The water travels through a large pipe, called a penstock.

3. The force of the water spins a turbine at a low speed, allowing �sh to pass through unharmed.

4. Inside the generator, the shaft spins coils of copper wire inside a ring of magnets. This creates an electric �eld, producing electricity.

5. Electricity is sent to a switchyard, where a transformer increases the voltage, allowing it to travel through the electric grid.

6. Water �ows out of the penstock into the downstream river.

GENERATOR

GENERATOR

TURBINE

RESERVOIR

IntakeDAM

PENSTOCK

DETAI

L1

2

3

45

6

Hydropower PlantHydropower Plant


Building Hoover DamThe Hoover Dam is located on the Colorado River, about 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It was built in the early 1930s during the Great Depression, providing jobs for thousands of workers.

Hoover Dam is 726.4 feet tall from the foundation to the roadway on the top of the dam. It provides electricity, flood control, and irrigation to areas of the Southwest.

Before construction of the dam could begin, the Colorado River had to be moved around the construction site. Four tunnels were drilled through the canyon walls, two on each side of the canyon. Next, temporary earthen cofferdams were built above and below the site to force the river water through the tunnels and protect the construction site.

There are 4,360,000 cubic yards of concrete in the dam and power plant. This much concrete would pave a highway from San Francisco to New York City—a distance of more than 2,500 miles.

It took five years to build the dam and power plant. About 21,000 men worked on the dam—an average of 3,500 men daily. A total of 96 men died due to construction of the dam. No one is buried in the concrete, although tales about buried bodies have been told for years.

Before construction of the dam could begin, the following projects had to be completed:

• the construction of a new town, Boulder City, to house the workers;

• the construction of seven miles of highway from Boulder City to the dam site;

• the construction of over 32 miles of railroad from Las Vegas to Boulder City to the dam site; and

• the construction of a 222-mile-long power transmission line from California to the dam site to supply electricity for construction.

Once the dam was completed, a reservoir formed behind the dam called Lake Mead. The lake is an attraction to boaters, swimmers, and fishermen. The Lake Mead National Recreation Area is home to thousands of desert plants and animals that can survive in an extreme place where rain is scarce and temperatures can soar over 100 degrees.

Summarized from the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation website: www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/faqs/damfaqs.html.

16 Wonders of Water

Advantages of Hydropower �Hydropower is a clean energy source. It is fueled by moving water, so it doesn’t produce pollution or emissions. Hydropower does not add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere.

�Hydropower is a renewable energy source. It relies on the water cycle, which is driven by the sun. The total amount of water in a hydropower system does not change.

�Hydropower is available when it is needed. The flow of water through a dam can be controlled to produce electricity when it is needed.

�Hydropower is an inexpensive way to produce electricity. The electricity generated by hydropower facilities is the cheapest electricity in the country.

�Dams create reservoirs that offer a wide variety of benefits. People use the reservoir for fishing, swimming, and boating.

�Hydropower facilities can help manage the water supply. They provide flood control and a reliable supply of drinking water.

�Hydropower dams are very safe and durable. They are built to last for hundreds of years.

Disadvantages of Hydropower �Hydropower plants depend on the water supply. When there is a drought, hydropower plants cannot produce as much electricity as when there is plenty of rain.

�Hydropower dams on rivers permanently change the ecology of large areas of land, upstream and downstream. When a dam is built, the reservoir floods large areas of land upstream from the dam. The natural ecology of the river downstream is changed, too.

�Hydropower dams can affect water quality. Reservoirs can change the amount of oxygen in the water, which can be harmful to fish and other creatures downstream.

�Dams can block fish from migrating. Some fish populations, such as salmon, migrate upstream to lay eggs and migrate downstream to return to the ocean or usual habitat. Fish ladders or elevators may be built to help fish swim upstream. Fish may be sent through specially designed spillways or bypasses as they head downstream.

Glen Canyon Dam

Fish BypassImage courtesy of Grant County Public Utility District


The Future of HydropowerWe probably will not build any more large hydropower dams in the United States. We already have dams in most of the best places. That does not mean we will not use more hydropower in the future, though. The U.S. plans to get much more electricity from hydropower.

The U.S. Department of Energy conducts research on hydropower, such as:

�ways to generate more electricity from existing hydropower dams;

�ways to add turbine generators to existing dams that do not produce electricity now; and

�ways to use the energy of moving water in the ocean.

Generating More Electricity from Existing Hydropower PlantsSome reservoirs have more water than the power plants can use. They release the extra water through spillways. At some of these power plants, they are installing more penstocks and turbines. The extra water flows through the penstocks and spins the turbines to make more electricity.

The turbines in some hydropower plants are very old. Scientists are designing new turbines that are more efficient. Power plants are replacing the old turbines with new ones so that they can make more electricity with the same amount of water.

Adding Turbine Generators to Existing DamsThere are 84,000 dams in the United States, but only a small amount of these were built to generate electricity. Many of the others are used to control the water supply. They are designed to release the amount of water that is needed by the people downstream every day. They hold extra water to help prevent flooding when there is too much rain. They release extra water to help prevent drought when there is too little rain.

We could add power plants to many of these dams. The water would produce electricity as it is released through the power plant, then would flow down the river to the people who need it. We could generate much more electricity by adding power plants to existing dams.

GeneratorsAt the Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Plant in Pennsylvania

18 Wonders of Water

Energy from TidesNear shore, the oceans and seas rise and fall with the tides. Tides have an enormous amount of energy. Some power stations harness the energy in the changing tides to make electricity. Tides are caused by the force of gravity between the Earth and the moon.

The moon pulls on the water that is closest to it. This creates a bulge in the surface of the water, called a tidal bulge.

Because the Earth is rotating, the water on the opposite side of the Earth also forms a tidal bulge. These bulges produce high tides. Between the tidal bulges is lower water that produces low tides.

Tidal BarrageOne kind of power plant that captures the energy in the tides is called a tidal barrage. A tidal barrage is built across the area where a river runs into the ocean. The water here rises and falls with the tides.

A tidal barrage is like an underwater dam with turbines. As the tide rises, the water flows through the barrage, and spins the turbines. When the tide drops, the water flows back to the ocean. The water again turns the turbines. The turbines spin to generate electricity when the water is flowing into and out of the river.

EARTHMOON

Gravitational Attraction

Rotation of the Earth

NEAR TIDAL BULGEFAR T

IDAL

BULG

E

Tidal Bulge

TIDAL FLOWDIRECTION

DAM

TURBINE

Tidal water is captured at high tide behind a dam. When the tide turns, the water is released to the sea, passing through a set of turbines.

Tidal Barrage

A marine turbine like this one can be used to generate tidal energy.

Tidal Bulge

Tidal Barrage

Tidal water is captured at high tide behind a dam. When the tide turns, the water is released to the sea, passing through a set of turbines.

Image courtesy of OpenHydro


Tidal Stream PowerTidal stream power captures the energy in ocean currents. Underwater turbines can be installed in the ocean in places with strong ocean currents.

Marine Current Turbines Ltd, a company in Bristol, England, created the world’s largest system to capture the energy in ocean currents. It is called the SeaGen S. A SeaGen S is operating off the east coast of Northern Ireland.

The SeaGen S consists of two large rotors, each powering a generator. A rotor is the spinning part of a power system—much like a turbine. These rotors are attached like wings on either side of a steel tower that is set into a hole drilled in the sea floor.

The city and state of New York are working with Verdant Power to harness the energy of the tides in the East River. From 2006-2009 six turbines were connected to the electric power grid to test the technology and effects of tidal turbines. They studied how electricity is generated from tidal power and monitored the environmental impacts of the turbines.

Verdant Power received permission to install 30 turbines that will generate electricity for local customers in the future.

In 2012, the state of Maine started using the first non-experimental tidal power system in the United States. This system can power approximately 2,000 homes.

Wave EnergyOcean waves are caused mainly by wind. The size of waves depends on how fast the wind blows, how long it blows, and how far it blows over the water. Usually, the farther the wind travels over water, or the harder it blows, the higher the waves. A strong breeze can cause waves 10 feet high.

SeaGen S System

A turbine being installed in the East River, NY.Image courtesy of Verdant Power

Image courtesy of Marine Current Turbines Ltd

20 Wonders of Water

Capturing Wave EnergyThe energy in waves can be used to generate electricity. The waves off the northwest coasts of the U.S. would be good for making electricity.

One way to capture wave energy is with a device called an oscillating water column. It is basically a big pipe called a chamber with a turbine inside. One end of the chamber is always in the water.

As the waves flow into the chamber, the air inside the chamber is pushed through a turbine, making it spin. A generator connected to the turbine produces electricity. As the waves flow out of the chamber, air from outside is pulled in, spinning the turbines again.

There are also floating devices that can capture the energy in the waves. They make electricity as they move up and down with the waves.

There are not any big commercial wave energy plants, but there are a few small ones. The only wave power projects in the United States are experimental, but a large system may soon be built off the coast of Oregon.

CHAMBER

VENT TURBINE

WAVE

Air pushedthrough by

incoming wave

VENT TURBINE

CHAMBER

WAVE

CLIFF FACE

VENT TURBINE

WAVE

CHAMBERAir pulled back

as waveretreats

Oscillator Water Column

FLOATING TUBES

JOINTSPOWER CABLE

Wave Energy Converter

Waves cause each buoy to rise and fall like a giant sea snake. The motion tugs at the joints linking the tubes. The joints act as a pump, pushing oil through motors that drive the generators to produce electricity. The wave energy buoys will be connected to the sea floor, and to customers with underwater power cables.

Wave Power Buoys

Oscillating Water Column


Energy KWL ChartWhat I Think I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned

e

22 Wonders of Water

Forms of Energy

Energy is Light

Energy is Motion

Energy is Electricity

Energy is Heat

Energy is Growth

Energy is the ability to do work or make a change. There are many forms of energy—light, heat, growth, motion, and electricity. Write all the ways you see energy at work in your classroom and around your school.

e


The Energy We UseMake a graph showing how much energy each source provides the United States. Write the names of the energy sources in the boxes at the bottom of the graph and fill in the columns to show the percentage each source provides.

**Total does not add up to 100% due to independent rounding.Data: Energy Information Administration

BIOMASS 5%Uses: heating, electricity,transportation

COAL 16%Uses: electricity,manufacturing

GEOTHERMAL < 1%Uses: heating, electricity

HYDROPOWER 2%Uses: electricity

PETROLEUM 37%Uses: transportation,manufacturing - includes propane

PROPANE Uses: heating,manufacturing

URANIUM 9%Uses: electricity

WIND 2%Uses: electricity

SOLAR < 1%Uses: heating, electricity

RENEWABLENONRENEWABLE

U.S. Energy Consumption by Source, 2015

NATURAL GAS 29%Uses: heating, manufacturing, electricity - includes propane

*Propane consumption is included in petroleum and natural gas totals.

E N E R G Y S O U R C E S

P E R C E N T A G E T H E S O U R C E P R O V I D E S50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

e

24 Wonders of Water

Electricity KWL Chart

What I Think I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned


The Electricity We UseMake a graph showing how much electricity each source provides the United States. Write the names of the energy sources in the boxes at the bottom of the graph and fill in the columns to show the percentage of electricity each source provides.

Coal 33%Natural Gas 32%Uranium 19%Hydropower 6%Wind 5%Biomass 2%Petroleum 1%Solar 1%Other 1%

E N E R G Y S O U R C E S

P E R C E N T A G E T H E S O U R C E P R O V I D E S50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

26 Wonders of Water

Science of ElectricityAfter observing the science of electricity model, draw and label a diagram of the device.

Explain how electricity was created or generated with the device.

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Water and Energy KWL ChartWhat I Think I Know What I Want to Know What I Learned

28 Wonders of Water

Word Bank

condensationliquidevaporationoceanlakecloudriverairsolar energyatmospheregasprecipitationwater vaporwatergravity

The Water CycleDraw a picture of the water cycle. Include arrows and labels to identify each step of the cycle. On the lines below, write a paragraph describing how the water cycle works. You may use the words in the word bank as labels on your picture and in your written explanation.

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Land and Water 1? QuestionHow does water change land?

Materials

HypothesisRead the procedure. Complete this hypothesis sentence:If I pour water onto the land, the land will ________________________________________________

because ___________________________________________________________________________.

Procedure1. Put sand in the closed end of the pan to a depth of 5 centimeters (cm) as shown in the picture below.

2. Smooth the top of the sand.3. Place the end of the pan with the drain hole over a sink or bucket.4. Raise the end of the pan with the sand 5 centimeters.5. Hold the beaker of water 10 centimeters above the sand and pour it onto the end in a slow, steady stream

as shown in the picture below.6. Record your observations on the next page.

© 2009 THE NEED PROJECT • PO BOX 10101 • MANASSAS, VA 20108 • 1-800-875-5029 Wonders of Water Student PAGE 27

© 2009 THE NEED PROJECT • PO BOX 10101 • MANASSAS, VA 20108 • 1-800-875-5029 Wonders of Water Student PAGE 27

� Wallpaper pan � Sand � Beaker with 300 mL of water

� Ruler � Sink or bucket

30 Wonders of Water

Land and Water 1 ObservationsDraw top-view pictures of the pan with the sand before and after you poured the water.

Pan Before Water Pan After Water

Explain what happened in your investigation.

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Land and Water 2AssignmentPlan an investigation of your own with your pan and sand, using one of the following ideas:

� Mold the sand with your hands to create mountains and valleys. � Pour the water from different heights. � Pour the water at different speeds. � Raise the end of the pan to different heights. � Place an object in the path of the water.

? Question

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Materials

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Hypothesis

If ________________________________________________________________________________________

then ______________________________________________________________________________________

because __________________________________________________________________________________.

X Controlled Variables (What stays the same?):

_____________________________________________ __________________________________________

_____________________________________________ __________________________________________

Y Manipulated Variable (What one variable are you changing?): Z Responding Variable (What are you measuring?):

_____________________________________________ __________________________________________

_____________________________________________ __________________________________________

Procedure

1. ________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________________________________________

6. ________________________________________________________________________________________

Observations Teacher’s Approval of PlanRecord your observations on the next page.

32 Wonders of Water

Land and Water 2 ObservationsDraw top-view pictures of the pan with the sand before and after you poured the water.

Pan Before Water Pan After Water

Explain what happened in your investigation.

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Hydropower PlantLabel the parts of a hydropower plant in the boxes.

Explain how a hydropower plant works and the flow of energy through the plant.

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34 Wonders of Water

Moving Water Can Do Work? QuestionHow can water do work?

Materials � 1 Round-barrel pencil, sharpened � 2 Foam cups � 30 cm Thread � 1 Foam craft ball � 4 Blades � Scissors

� Glue � Tape � Water � Paper clips � Ruler

Procedure, Part 11. Make a hole through the middle of the foam ball with the pencil as shown in Diagram 1. Slide the foam ball

to the middle of the pencil. Place rings of glue on either side to secure the ball to the pencil.2. Insert four blades into the foam ball at equal distances from each other, as shown in Diagram 2. Make sure

that the blades are not too long to fit into the cup. Glue the blades into place and let dry. 3. Cut two small V-shaped grooves on opposite sides of the top of the cup as shown in Diagram 3.4. Tie one end of a piece of thread to a paper clip. Tape the other end of the thread to the pencil as shown in

Diagram 4.5. Place the pencil into the grooves on the cup so the foam ball is in the center of the cup. Adjust and re-glue

the blades so that they do not hit the edge of the cup.6. When the glue on the blades is dry, place the water wheel system at the edge of a table so the one paper clip

hangs off the table.7. Get a second cup and fill it nearly full with water. Pour the water slowly and evenly onto the blades, as shown

in Diagram 5 on the next page. What happens? Record your observations.

Observations

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CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE


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? QuestionHow many paper clips can your water wheel lift?

Hypothesis

Read the procedure. Write a hypothesis to answer the question.

If ________________________________________________________________________________________

then ______________________________________________________________________________________

because __________________________________________________________________________________.

Procedure, Part 2

1. Place four additional paper clips on the end of the string so there are a total of five paper clips.

2. Fill the second cup nearly full with water. Pour the water slowly and evenly onto the blades, as shown in Diagram 5.

3. Measure the distance the paper clips were lifted. Record the data in the table.

4. Pour the water you caught back into the pouring cup. Repeat the test two more times. Record the results and calculate the average distance.

5. Add five more paper clips to the end of the thread and repeat steps 2-4.

6. Continue testing your water wheel, adding five paper clips at a time until you cannot lift any more paper clips.

Data and Observations

PAPER CLIPS DISTANCE 1 DISTANCE 2 DISTANCE 3 AVERAGE DISTANCE

5

10

15

20

25

Conclusion

Explain what happened as more paper clips were added to the string.

Diagram 5

36 Wonders of Water

Effect of Penstock Height on the Force of Water

? QuestionWhat effect does penstock height have on the force of water?

Hypothesis

If ________________________________________________________________________________________

then ______________________________________________________________________________________

because ______________________________________.

Materials � 1 2-Liter bottle � Ruler � Water � 1 Push pin

2Preparation � Use the ruler to measure from the bottom of the bottle to five centimeters (cm). Mark this spot with a dot. Make three more marks at 10, 15, and 20 cm. Draw a horizontal line at 20 cm as well.

� Discuss with your group what you will do with the cap in this experiment.

Procedure1. Using the push pin, make holes at the 5, 10, 15, and 20

cm marks. Cover each hole with a piece of duct tape.2. Fill the bottle with water to the 20 cm line.3. Place the bottle at one end of the wallpaper pan with

the holes pointing into the pan. Place your ruler in the bottom of the pan so that zero is at the edge of the bottom of the bottle.

4. Remove the duct tape from the 5 cm hole and immediately measure the distance the water projects from the hole. Record the results on your data table.

5. Cover the hole with your finger, refill the bottle with water and place the bottle back in the pan. Uncover the hole and measure the distance the water projects again. Record your results. Repeat once more for a total of three trials.

6. Tape the hole so it is closed.7. Follow steps 2-6 again for the 10, 15, and 20 cm holes.

5 cm

10 cm

15 cm

20 cm

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

� 1 Wallpaper pan � Towel or paper towels � Permanent marker � Duct tape


Data and ObservationsRecord your data in the table below.

PENSTOCK HEIGHT TRIAL 1 TRIAL 2 TRIAL 3 AVERAGE

5 cm

10 cm

15 cm

20 cm

Conclusion

Was your hypothesis correct? Why or why not? What is the effect of the penstock height on the water’s force? Use data to support your answer.

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38 Wonders of Water

Future of Hydropower

at existing hydropower plants.

using energy from tides and ocean currents.

using wave energy.

at existing water control dams.

Describe ways to increase electricity from hydropower:


Hydropower Glossaryatom the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the elementattract pull towardchamber a large pipe in an oscillating water column through which air is moved by ocean wavescircuit a path for electricity to flowcondensation the process of turning a gas into a liquidcurrent the flow of electricity through a circuitdam a barrier constructed across a waterway to control the flow or raise the level of waterdeposition the process of turning a gas into a solid without passing through a liquid statedistance the length or amount of space between two pointsdistribution line a wire that moves electricity from a transmission line to consumersearthen cofferdam

a temporary dam made of earth or dirt that encloses all or part of a construction area so that construction can be performed

ecology the relationship between a living thing and the environmentelectricity the movement of electronselectromagnetism the relationship between electrical energy and magnetism

electron the particle in an atom that carries a negative electrical chargeemissions the vapors released by vehicles, machinery, and factories, can often contain pollutionenergy the ability to do work or make a changeenergy level location within an atom where electrons are heldevaporation the process of turning a liquid into a gasflow volume of water, expressed as cubic feet or cubic meters per second, passing a point

in a given amount of time; the amount and speed of water entering a water wheel or turbine

force a push or pullfreezing the process of changing a liquid into a solidgenerate to produce, such as to produce electricitygenerator a device that converts motion energy into electrical energygravity a force that attracts two objects; on Earth gravity pulls objects towards the groundgreenhouse gas gases that trap in heat; carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor are major exampleshead vertical change in elevation, expressed in either feet or meters, between the headwater

level and the tailwater levelhydropower the use of moving water to generate electricityload the part of an electric circuit that uses electricity to do work (a light bulb, for example)magnetic field the area of force around a magnetmelting the process of changing a solid into a liquidneutron a particle in the nucleus of an atom that carries no charge

a cb

40 Wonders of Water

nonrenewable energy source

an energy source with a long term replenish rate and reserves that are limited, including petroleum, coal, natural gas, uranium, and propane

nucleus the center of an atom that contains protons and neutronsoscillating water column

a device that captures the energy of ocean waves

penstock a closed conduit or pipe for conducting water to a water wheel, turbine, or powerhousephotosynthesis the process used by plants to create sugar or food from sunlightpower line a wire that carries electricitypower plant the equipment attached to a dam that generates electricity, including the turbines

and generatorsproton a particle in the nucleus of the atom that carries a positive chargerenewable energy source

an energy source with a short term replenish rate, including biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind

repel push apartreservoir a natural or artificial pond or lake for storing and regulating waterrotor the spinning part of a power system, like a turbinesecondary source of energy

an energy source that is produced by another source of energy; electricity, for example, is produced by many sources of energy, such as coal, wind, solar energy, and hydropower

spillway a channel or passageway around or over a dam through which excess water is releasedsublimation the process of changing a solid into a gas without passing through a liquid statesugar a food created by plants for nutritiontidal barrage an underwater dam with turbines that capture the energy in rising and falling tidestidal bulge a bulge in the surface of the ocean caused by the gravitational pull of the moontidal stream power

a device that captures the energy in ocean currents

tides movement of water due to the moontransmission line a wire that moves electricity in large amounts from a power plant to a townturbine a device with blades that is turned by wind, water, or steamwater vapor the gaseous form of waterwork applying a force to move an object across a distance


B L A N K P A G E

42 Wonders of Water

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Games, Puzzles, and Activities

WIND

Wind is simply air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by radiant energy

from the sun. Since the Earth’s surface is made of very di�erent types of land and water, it absorbs the sun’s

energy at di�erent rates. The heavier, denser, cool air over the water �ows in to take its place, creating wind.

In the same way, the atmospheric winds that circle the Earth are created because the land near the Equator

is heated more by the sun than land near the North and South Poles.

Fold in along dotted lines,

crease, and unfold


crease, and unfold


to meet the center


to meet the center

Unfold Step 4 on

the top half

Open, Bring the top down

and press paper �at

Make the 2 diagonal folds as indicated and DONE!

BIOMASS

Biomass is any organic matter that can be used as an energy source. Wood, crops, and yard and animal

waste are examples of biomass. People have used biomass longer than any other energy source.

For thousands of years, people have burned wood to heat their homes and cook their food.


crease, and unfold


crease, and unfoldFold in the creases

Open the pocket and �atten

Repeat on all four sides

Fold forward along the dotted

lines and crease

Repeat on other sides

Fold down along dotted lines


Looking for some fun energy activities? There are plenty of fun games, puzzles, and activities available at www.NEED.org/games.

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http://www.need.org/awesomeextras

http://www.need.org/awesomeextras


Games, Puzzles, and Activities

WIND

Wind is simply air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the Earth’s surface by radiant energy

from the sun. Since the Earth’s surface is made of very di� erent types of land and water, it absorbs the sun’s

energy at di� erent rates. The heavier, denser, cool air over the water � ows in to take its place, creating wind.

In the same way, the atmospheric winds that circle the Earth are created because the land near the Equator

is heated more by the sun than land near the North and South Poles.


crease, and unfold


crease, and unfold


to meet the center


to meet the center

Unfold Step 4 on

the top half

Open, Bring the top down

and press paper � at

Make the 2 diagonal folds as indicated and DONE!

BIOMASS

Biomass is any organic matter that can be used as an energy source. Wood, crops, and yard and animal

waste are examples of biomass. People have used biomass longer than any other energy source.

For thousands of years, people have burned wood to heat their homes and cook their food.


crease, and unfold


crease, and unfoldFold in the creases

Open the pocket and � atten


Fold forward along the dotted

lines and crease

Repeat on other sides

Fold down along dotted lines


Looking for some fun energy activities? There are plenty of fun games, puzzles, and activities available at www.NEED.org/games.

www.need.org/games

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Wonders of Water Student

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