Wonders of Water Student Guide

Wonders of Water Student Guide

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ELEMENTARY

e

What is Energy?

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.

Energy is Light We 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 Heat We 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.

Light

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

Energy Makes Things Grow All 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.

Heat

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

Tree

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Energy Makes Things Move It 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 Machines It 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

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Energy is Change

GAS STATION

When 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 Work The 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.

SOCCER

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.

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

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U.S. Consumption of Energy by Source, 2020

88%

Nonrenewable Sources

12%

Renewable Sources 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

PERCENTAGE OF UNITED STATES ENERGY USE

Nonrenewable Energy Sources and Percentage of Total Energy Consumption *Propane consumption is included in petroleum and natural gas figures.

PETROLEUM 35% Uses: transportation, manufacturing - Includes Propane

NATURAL GAS 34% Uses: heating, manufacturing, electricity - Includes Propane

COAL

Uses: electricity, manufacturing

10%

URANIUM

Uses: electricity

9%

PROPANE

1%

GEOTHERMAL 4%

Uses: heating, manufacturing

Renewable Energy Sources and Percentage of Total Energy Consumption

BIOMASS

5%

Uses: heating, electricity, transportation

HYDROPOWER 3% Uses: electricity

WIND

Uses: electricity

3%

SOLAR

Uses: heating, electricity

Uses: heating, electricity

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

Energy Sources In 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. ©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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Electricity Electricity is Mysterious

LIGHTNING

Electricity 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.

Lightning is a form of electrical energy.

Atom Atom

PROTON

Atoms are Made of Even Smaller Particles

NUCLEUS

NEUTRON

ELECTRON

An 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.

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Protons and Electrons Attract Each Other Electrons 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.

Carbon Atom

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.

OUTER

INNE

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.

EL

R ENERGY LEVE

L

NUCLEUS PROTONS (+)

NEUTRONS

ELECTRONS (–)

Electricity is Moving Electrons The 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.

ENERGY LEV

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.

Bar Magnets Bar Magnet

Like Poles

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

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

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

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Magnets Can Make Electricity We 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.

Generator MAGNETS COPPER COILS ROTATING SHAFT

GENERATOR

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

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

Power Plants Use Magnets Power 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., natural gas is the top energy source for making electricity. It generates about 40% 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 one of the leading renewable energy sources that generates electricity. In a hydropower plant, the flowing water is used to spin turbines to generate electricity.

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We Get Our Electricity Through Wires A 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.

Transporting Electricity

Transmission line carries electricity long distances

Power plant generates electricity

Transformer steps up voltage for transmission

POWER TOWER

Distribution line carries electricity to house

Neighborhood transformer steps down voltage

ELECTRIC POLES

Transformer on pole steps down voltage before entering house

There are Other Ways to Produce Electricity Electricity 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. ©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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Electricity Flows in Circuits Electricity 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 Day Electricity 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.

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Electric Circuits Electrical Circuits FLOW OF ELECTRONS

–

WIRES

+

LOAD ENERGY SOURCE

CLOSED SWITCH

closed circuit path allowing electricity AA closed circuitisisa complete a complete path allowing electricity to flow flow from energy source to thetoload. to fromthe the energy source the load.

FLOW OF ELECTRONS

–

WIRES

+

LOAD ENERGY SOURCE

OPEN SWITCH

An open circuit has a break in the path. There is no flow of

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

Machines That Use Electricity

Microwave

Projector

Television

Video Game System

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Wonders of Water

Solid: Ice

Liquid: Water

Gas: Water Vapor

Water is Found in Three States of Matter Water 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.

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The Water Cycle

The Water Cycle SOLAR ENERGY

CONDENSATION (Gas to Liquid)

PRECIPITATION

EVAPORATION

(Liquid or Solid)

EVAPORATION

(Liquid to Gas)

(Liquid to Gas)

OCEANS, LAKES, RIVERS (Liquid)

Water Changes State in a Cycle On 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.

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Water has Been Used as a Source of Energy for Many Years Water 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 90,000 dams in the United States, but only 2,000 were built to generate electricity.

The rest were built to control flooding, irrigate crops, or provide a reliable water supply.

Water wheel

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A Dam That Generates Electricity is a Hydropower Plant Hydropower (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.

About 16 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 2020, seven percent of U.S. electricity was generated using hydropower.

That’s enough power for more than 27 million households.

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

Hydropower PlantPlant Hydropower

view from above

GENERATOR MAGNETS COPPER COILS

RESERVOIR Intake

1

ROTATING SHAFT DET AIL

Electricity from Hydropower

DAM PEN

GENERATOR STO

CK

2

SWITCHYARD

4 5 3 TURBINE

6

RIVER

1. Water in a reservoir behind a hydropower dam flows through an intake screen, which filters out large debris, but allows smaller fish 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 fish to pass through unharmed.

4. Inside the generator, the shaft spins coils of copper wire inside a ring of magnets. This creates an electric field, 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 flows out of the penstock into the downstream river.

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Building Hoover Dam The 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. ©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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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.

Glen Canyon Dam

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.

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Image courtesy of Grant County Public Utility District

Fish Bypass

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The Future of Hydropower We 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; ways to use the energy of moving water through public systems, like water and sewers; and ways to use the energy of moving water in the ocean.

Generating More Electricity from Existing Hydropower Plants Some 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 Dams There are 90,000 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.

Generators At the Safe Harbor Hydroelectric Plant in Pennsylvania

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HIGH TIDE

EARTH

IDAL BUL AR T GE NE

TIDAL BULGE FAR

LOW TIDE of th ation e Earth Rot

Near 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.

TidalBulge Bulge Tidal HIGH TIDE

Energy from Tides

Gravitational Attraction

MOON

LOW TIDE

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.

Image courtesy of OpenHydro

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

Tidal Barrage One 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.

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Tidal Barrage

Tidal Barrage TIDAL FLOW DIRECTION

DAM

TURBINE Tidal water is captured at high tide behind a dam.

When theistide turns,atthe water is released the sea, Tidal water captured high tide behind a dam.toWhen the tide turns, passing turbines. the water through is releasedatoset theofsea, passing through a set of turbines.

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Tidal Stream Power Tidal 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.

Image courtesy of Marine Current Turbines Ltd

SeaGen S System

Verdant Power installed three turbines that will generate electricity for local customers in the area with hopes to continue installing more in the future.

In 2012, the state of Maine started using the first nonexperimental tidal power system in the United States.

This system can power approximately 2,000 homes.

Image courtesy of Verdant Power

A turbine being installed in the East River, NY.

Wave Energy Ocean 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.

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Capturing Wave Energy The 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.

Oscillating Water Column

Oscillator Water Column VENT

CHAMBER

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.

CLIFF FACE WAVE VENT

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.

TURBINE

TURBINE

Air pushed through by incoming wave

CHAMBER

WAVE VENT

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.

TURBINE

Air pulled back as wave retreats

CHAMBER

WAVE

Wave Energy Converter Wave Power Buoys FLOATING TUBES POWER CABLE

JOINTS

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.

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e

Energy KWL Chart

What I Think I Know

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What I Want to Know

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What I Learned

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Forms of Energy

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.

Energy is Light

Energy is Heat

Energy is Motion

Energy is Growth

Energy is Electricity

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e

The Energy We Use

Make 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.

U.S. Energy Consumption by Source, 2020 NONRENEWABLE

RENEWABLE

PETROLEUM

35%

BIOMASS

5%

NATURAL GAS

34%

WIND

3%

COAL

10%

HYDROPOWER

3%

SOLAR

1%

Uses: transportation, manufacturing - includes propane

Uses: heating, manufacturing, electricity - includes propane Uses: electricity, manufacturing

URANIUM

Uses: electricity

PROPANE

Uses: heating, manufacturing

9%

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

Uses: heating, electricity, transportation Uses: electricity

Uses: electricity

Uses: heating, electricity

GEOTHERMAL

< 1%

Uses: heating, electricity

**Total does not add up to 100% due to independent rounding.

Data: Energy Information Administration

PERCENTAGE THE SOURCE PROVIDES 50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

ENERGY SOURCES ©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

www.NEED.org

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Electricity KWL Chart What I Think I Know

24

What I Want to Know

What I Learned

©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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The Electricity We Use Make a graph showing how much electricity each source provided 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.

Natural Gas Uranium Coal Wind Hydropower Solar Biomass Petroleum

40% 20% 19% 8% 7% 2% 1% 1%

PERCENTAGE THE SOURCE PROVIDES 50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%

ENERGY SOURCES *Total does not equal 100% due to independent rounding. ©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

www.NEED.org

25

Science of Electricity After 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 Chart What I Think I Know

©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

What I Want to Know

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What I Learned

27

The Water Cycle Draw 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.

Word Bank condensation liquid evaporation ocean lake cloud river air solar energy atmosphere gas precipitation water vapor water gravity __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

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Land and Water 1 ? Question  How does water change land?

 Materials Ruler Sink or bucket

Wallpaper pan Sand Beaker with 300 mL of water

 Hypothesis Read the procedure. Complete this hypothesis sentence: If I pour water onto the land, the land will ________________________________________________ because ___________________________________________________________________________.

Procedure 1. Put sand in the closed end of the pan to a depth of 5 centimeters (cm) as shown in the picture below.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Smooth the top of the sand.

Place the end of the pan with the drain hole over a sink or bucket.

Raise the end of the pan with the sand 5 centimeters.

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.

©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

29

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© 2009 THE NEED PROJECT • PO BOX 10101 • MANASSAS, VA 20108 • 1-800-875-5029

Wonders of Water Student

PAGE 27

Land and Water 1 Observations Draw 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 2 Assignment Plan 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  __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

 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. _________________________________________________________________________________________

 Teacher’s Approval of Plan

 Observations Record your observations on the next page. ©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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31

Land and Water 2 Observations Draw 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. __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

32

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Hydropower Plant Label the parts of a hydropower plant in the boxes.

Explain how a hydropower plant works and the flow of energy through the plant. __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ ©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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33

Moving Water Can Do Work ? Question  How can water do work?

 Materials

1 Round-barrel pencil, sharpened 2 Foam cups 30 cm Thread 1 Foam craft ball 4 Wooden spoons Scissors

Glue Tape Water Paper clips Ruler

Procedure, Part 1 1. 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. Create blades out of the wooden spoons. Snap or cut them into smaller pieces if you need. 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 __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

34

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? Question  How 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 ©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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35

Effect of Penstock Height on the Force of Water ? Question  What effect does penstock height have on the force of water?

 Hypothesis If _________________________________________________________________________________________ then_______________________________________________________________________________________ because ______________________________________.

 Materials

1 2-Liter bottle Ruler Water 1 Push pin

1 Wallpaper pan Towel or paper towels Permanent marker Duct tape

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 (on, off, tight, or loose?).

Procedure 1. 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.

20 cm

15 cm

10 cm

5 cm

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

36

©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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 Data and Observations Record 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. __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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37

Future of Hydropower Describe ways to increase electricity from hydropower:

at existing hydropower plants.

at existing water control dams.

using energy from tides and ocean currents.

using wave energy.

38

©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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a

b

c

Hydropower Glossary

atom attract chamber circuit condensation current dam deposition distance distribution line earthen cofferdam ecology electricity electromagnetism

the smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element pull toward a large pipe in an oscillating water column through which air is moved by ocean waves a path for electricity to flow the process of turning a gas into a liquid the flow of electricity through a circuit a barrier constructed across a waterway to control the flow or raise the level of water the process of turning a gas into a solid without passing through a liquid state the length or amount of space between two points a wire that moves electricity from a transmission line to consumers a temporary dam made of earth or dirt that encloses all or part of a construction area so that construction can be performed

electron emissions energy energy level evaporation flow

the particle in an atom that carries a negative electrical charge the vapors released by vehicles, machinery, and factories, can often contain pollution the ability to do work or make a change location within an atom where electrons are held the process of turning a liquid into a gas 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 a push or pull the process of changing a liquid into a solid to produce, such as to produce electricity a device that converts motion energy into electrical energy a force that attracts two objects; on Earth gravity pulls objects towards the ground gases that trap in heat; carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor are major examples vertical change in elevation, expressed in either feet or meters, between the headwater level and the tailwater level the use of moving water to generate electricity the part of an electric circuit that uses electricity to do work (a light bulb, for example) the area of force around a magnet the process of changing a solid into a liquid a particle in the nucleus of an atom that carries no charge

force freezing generate generator gravity greenhouse gas head hydropower load magnetic field melting neutron

the relationship between a living thing and the environment the movement of electrons the relationship between electrical energy and magnetism

©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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39

nonrenewable energy source nucleus oscillating water column penstock photosynthesis power line power plant

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

proton renewable energy source repel reservoir rotor secondary source of energy

a particle in the nucleus of the atom that carries a positive charge an energy source with a short term replenish rate, including biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, and wind

spillway sublimation sugar tidal barrage tidal bulge tidal stream power tides transmission line turbine water vapor work

40

the center of an atom that contains protons and neutrons a device that captures the energy of ocean waves a closed conduit or pipe for conducting water to a water wheel, turbine, or powerhouse the process used by plants to create sugar or food from sunlight a wire that carries electricity the equipment attached to a dam that generates electricity, including the turbines and generators

push apart a natural or artificial pond or lake for storing and regulating water the spinning part of a power system, like a turbine 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 a channel or passageway around or over a dam through which excess water is released the process of changing a solid into a gas without passing through a liquid state a food created by plants for nutrition an underwater dam with turbines that capture the energy in rising and falling tides a bulge in the surface of the ocean caused by the gravitational pull of the moon a device that captures the energy in ocean currents movement of water due to the moon a wire that moves electricity in large amounts from a power plant to a town a device with blades that is turned by wind, water, or steam the gaseous form of water applying a force to move an object across a distance

©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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B L A N K

©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

www.NEED.org

P A G E

41

Youth Energy Conference & Awards

Youth AWards Program for Energy Achievement

The NEED Youth Energy Conference and Awards gives students more opportunities to learn about energy and to explore energy in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math).

The annual June conference has students from across the country working in groups on an Energy Challenge designed to stretch their minds and energy knowledge. The conference culminates with the Youth Awards Cenermony recognizing student work throughout the year and during the conference.

All NEED schools have outstanding classroom-based programs in which students learn about energy.

Does your school have student leaders who extend these activities into their communities? To recognize outstanding achievement and reward student leadership, The NEED Project conducts the National Youth Awards Program for Energy Achievement.

For More Info: www.youthenergyconference.org

Share Your Energy Outreach with The NEED Network! This program combines academic competition with recognition to acknowledge everyone involved in NEED during the year—and to recognize those who achieve excellence in energy education in their schools and communities.

What’s involved?

Students and teachers set goals and objectives and keep a record of their activities. Students create a digital project to submit for judging. In April, digital projects are uploaded to the online submission site.

Check out:

www.NEED.org/need-students/youth-awards/ for more application and program information, previous winners, and photos of past events.

42

©2022 The NEED Project Wonders of Water

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Games, Puzzles, and Activities Looking for some fun energy activities? There are plenty of fun games, puzzles, and activities available at www.NEED.org/need-students/games-puzzles-activities/.

WIND

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43

National Sponsors and Partners Adapt2 Solutions Alaska Electric Light & Power Company American Electric Power Foundation American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers Arizona Sustainability Alliance Armstrong Energy Corporation Robert L. Bayless, Producer, LLC Baltimore Gas & Electric Berkshire Gas - Avangrid BG Group/Shell BP America Inc. Blue Grass Energy Bob Moran Charitable Giving Fund Boys and Girls Club of Carson (CA) Buckeye Supplies Cape Light Compact–Massachusetts Central Alabama Electric Cooperative CLEAResult Clover Park School District Clovis Unified School District Colonial Pipeline ComEd Confluence ConocoPhillips Constellation Delmarva Power Dominion Energy, Inc. Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation DonorsChoose Duke Energy Duke Energy Foundation East Baton Rouge Parish Schools East Kentucky Power EcoCentricNow EDP Renewables EduCon Educational Consulting Enel Green Power North America Eugene Water and Electric Board Eversource Exelon Exelon Foundation Exelon Generation Foundation for Environmental Education FPL The Franklin Institute George Mason University – Environmental Science and Policy Georgia Power Gerald Harrington, Geologist Government of Thailand–Energy Ministry Green Power EMC Greenwired, Inc.

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Guilford County Schools–North Carolina Honeywell Houston LULAC National Education Service Centers Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Scale Up Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation Illinois International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Renewable Energy Fund Illinois Institute of Technology Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico Jackson Energy James Madison University Kansas Corporation Energy Commission Kansas Energy Program – K-State Engineering Extension Kentucky Office of Energy Policy Kentucky Environmental Education Council Kentucky Power–An AEP Company League of United Latin American Citizens – National Educational Service Centers Leidos LES – Lincoln Electric System Liberty Utilities Linn County Rural Electric Cooperative Llano Land and Exploration Louisiana State Energy Office Louisiana State University – Agricultural Center Mercedes-Benz USA Minneapolis Public Schools Mississippi Development Authority–Energy Division Motus Experiential National Fuel National Grid National Hydropower Association National Ocean Industries Association National Renewable Energy Laboratory NC Green Power Nebraskans for Solar NextEra Energy Resources Nicor Gas NCi – Northeast Construction North Shore Gas Offshore Technology Conference Ohio Energy Project Oklahoma Gas and Electric Energy Corporation Omaha Public Power District Pacific Gas and Electric Company PECO Peoples Gas

8408 Kao Circle, Manassas, VA 20110

1.800.875.5029

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Pepco Performance Services, Inc. Permian Basin Petroleum Museum Phillips 66 PNM PowerSouth Energy Cooperative Providence Public Schools Quarto Publishing Group Prince George’s County Office of Sustainable Energy (MD) Renewable Energy Alaska Project Rhoades Energy Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources Rhode Island Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council Salal Foundation/Salal Credit Union Salt River Project Salt River Rural Electric Cooperative C.T. Seaver Trust Secure Futures, LLC Shell Shell Carson Shell Chemical Shell Deer Park Singapore Ministry of Education SMECO SMUD Society of Petroleum Engineers South Carolina Energy Office SunTribe Solar Tri-State Generation and Transmission TXU Energy United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey Unitil University of Kentucky University of Louisville University of Maine University of North Carolina University of Rhode Island University of Tennessee University of Texas Permian Basin University of Wisconsin – Platteville U.S. Department of Energy U.S. Department of Energy–Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy U.S. Department of Energy - Water Power Technologies Office U.S. Department of Energy–Wind for Schools U.S. Energy Information Administration United States Virgin Islands Energy Office We Care Solar