Hydropower

I confess, I have never done a science project before. I know, I know, you’re asking how can this be. While I have had many science labs before, using that dear old bunsen burner for many of them, I have never had the classic science fair project at any point during my academic career. It is for this reason that now, faced with a fifth grade level science fair project, I am interested in learning just what all the fuss is about. My subject for this novel experience: hydropower.

The project is simple yet fully demonstrates the concept of hydropower. First, let me explain hydropower for anyone who is not aware. Hydropower is the act of transforming the kinetic energy of moving water into mechanical energy by means of a turbine. The moving water can be from a running river, a waterfall, or any water that is in motion.

Here’s how the project goes. It starts by creating a waterwheel out of the bottom of a tin pan. Cutting and folding the tin to create panels, this allows the rushing water to rotate the wheel. The wheel is then placed on a dowel over a bucket. The wheel is fastened tight to the dowel and the dowel is loosely fitted on the bucket so that it is free to rotate. On the opposite end of the dowel there is a string attached, onto which a small weight is tied. The goal of this experiment is to lift the weight using only the energy provided by the water source. Having set us the experiment, it is then only a matter of providing the water source to convert its energy mechanical energy. A sink or any form of falling water will do. This falling water, which has kinetic energy, hits the waterwheel and rotates it, which in turn rotates the dowel. This is now mechanical energy. The string, which is attacked to the dowel, then begins to wind up, carrying the weight upwards as it shortens. The mechanical energy transferred to the turbine preforms the work needed to lift the weight. All of this happens because of the moving water.

There you have it! Simple, yet elegant in its simplicity. It’s only a matter of time before I find out whether or not I was ever meant to create a science fair project.