Bell Ringer
Instructions: Answer the prompt provided by your teacher.
Vocabulary
Instructions: Watch the Science of Hydropower video and listen for the vocabulary words.
| Word | Definition | Example |
| Hydropower | noun; power (usually electrical) created from the energy of moving water | “Biomass – burning wood – was our first major energy source, but not too long after came hydropower.” |
| Power plant | noun phrase; a large building or factory where electricity is generated from primary energy, such as coal, gas, water and uranium | “Water ran our first major power plants and it still accounts for three percent of global energy today . . .” |
| Gravitational pull | noun phrase; a force that pulls objects towards each other – everything that has mass pulls on other things with gravity | “ . . . and it does that by tapping into Earth’s gravitational pull.” |
| Counteract | verb; to act against something so that it has less effect or no effect at all | “When I lift this tank, the energy I use to counteract gravity is stored in the water.” |
| Potential Energy | noun; energy stored in an object due to its position or state, such as the energy in water held behind a dam | “When I lift this tank, the energy I use to counteract gravity is stored in the water. It’s called potential energy.” |
| Kinetic Energy | noun; the energy of an object in motion, such as water falling down a waterfall | “. . . the potential energy is turned into kinetic energy as the flowing water turns a turbine.” |
| Turbine | noun; a machine that converts the energy from flowing air or water into mechanical energy, often used for power generation | “. . . the potential energy is turned into kinetic energy as the flowing water turns a turbine.” |
| Pelton Wheel | noun phrase; a type of water turbine that uses fast-moving water to spin its spoon-shaped blades and make energy | “The water turns the Pelton wheel or impeller to which is connected to a generator.” |
| Impeller | noun; a spinning part inside a machine that pushes liquids or air to make them move faster or in a certain direction | “The water turns the Pelton wheel or impeller to which is connected to a generator.” |
| Generator | noun; a machine that works by turning motion into electrical energy | “The water turns the Pelton wheel or impeller to which is connected to a generator.” |
| Reservoir | noun; a large storage area for water, typically behind a dam | “One of the benefits of hydro is that you can store . . . a huge reservoir of water behind a dam.” |
| Emissions | noun; substances, especially gases, released into the atmosphere, usually as byproducts of energy production or burning fuel | “Gravity does the work so the electricity is cheap and the plant burns no fuel, meaning no emissions.” |
| Base Load | noun phrase; the minimum level of demand for electricity that is constantly needed and met by power plants as they produce energy | “The other great benefit of hydro is it can be base load or peak load power. As long as there’s water, it can run all the time.” |
| Demand curve | noun phrase; a line on a graph that shows how much electricity people need at different times of the day | “Or you can stop and start it almost instantly to follow the demand curve.” |
| Displace | verb; forcing populations to move from their original location, often due to large projects like building hydroelectric dams | “Flooding a river valley to make a reservoir means covering towns and displacing people.” |
| Refit | verb; to fix, change or add new parts to something, so that it works better or can be used in a new way | “The rest of the world is refitting old plans with more efficient equipment . . .” |
Quiz
Instructions: Circle the correct answer based on what you learned in the Science of Hydropower video.
Q1. How does hydropower generate electricity?
- By burning water to release steam.
- By using solar panels floating on reservoirs.
- By converting the kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy that turns a turbine.
- By heating water to produce gas that powers a generator.
Q2. Which of the following represents the potential energy associated with a hydroelectric dam?
- The energy stored in a dam’s reservoir.
- The movement of water through turbines.
- The electricity generated by the hydroelectric plant.
- The energy used to pump water uphill.
Q3. What is a major benefit of hydroelectric power mentioned in the video?
- It requires no land to build.
- It can only produce electricity during the day.
- It produces electricity with no fuel and no emissions.
- It is cheap to build in all parts of the world.
Q4. Why is it difficult for developing countries to build new hydroelectric plants?
- They lack water resources.
- The technology is not available to them.
- The plants are enormous and very expensive to build.
- Hydropower is not reliable in developing regions.