1.3.5

Water Energy

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Water (Hydroelectric Power)

Water high above the ground is a store of gravitational potential energy. Hydroelectric dams trap water. Allowing it to fall rotates a turbine, which turns a generator.

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Advantages

  • Renewable.
  • More reliable than wind and solar.
  • Capable of producing lots of energy.
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Disadvantages

  • Hydroelectric dams often change the paths of rivers, which can move people out of houses and harm local wildlife.
  • Can be affected by droughts and variation in water flow over time.
  • There are fewer and fewer suitable places to build a dam.

Jump to other topics

1Energy

2Electricity

3Particle Model of Matter

4Atoms & Radiation

5Forces

5.1Basics of Motion

5.2Forces

5.3Effects of Forces

5.4Pressure

6Waves

7Magnetism

8Astrophysics

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