Digital Inquiry - Mechanical to Electrical Energy
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Last updated about 2 years ago
9 Nsɛmmisa
1
5.6.A
1
5.6.A
Click the link to watch the 5-minute video and learn how a wind turbine works to generate electricity.
How does the mechanical energy of wind generate electricity?
Why is wind power considered an alternative energy resource?
Energy companies sometimes produce electrical energy from mechanical energy with wind turbines. Wind turbines are very tall structures topped by blades which spin when the wind blows against them. The energy of spinning blades is mechanical energy, the energy of motion.
The turning blades spin a very large magnet inside a coil of copper wire. The magnet’s movement from north to south poles inside the coil of wire causes electrons to move in the wire. The movement of electrons is called electrical current or electricity. The energy of electricity is electrical energy. So, electrical energy is produced by the movement of a magnet in a copper coil.
How do turbines transform mechanical energy into electrical energy?
As you read the article, think about how the mechanical energy of wind generates electricity for our world to use in different ways.
Where in the United States can we harness the greatest wind power?
Why do some locations, such as coastal regions and deserts, offer greater wind power potential?
How does hydropower compare to wind power in terms of technology used to generate electricity?
Why is hydropower considered an alternative energy resource?
As you read the article, think about how the mechanical energy of water generates electricity for our world to use in different ways.
Why are rivers considered ideal for harnessing hydropower to generate electricity?
Use the information you collected from multiple sources to thoroughly explain how mechanical energy is changed into electrical energy.
