The turbines can be seen inside this hydroelectric dam. Why are they located at that particular height?

Question

(1 point)
There is a small drop, so the water
• will still have a lot of potential energy to transfer to the turbine.
There is a small drop, so the water
• will still have a lot of kinetic energy to transfer to the turbine.
There is a large drop, so the water
• will have a lot of kinetic energy to transfer to the turbine.
There is a large drop, so the water
• will have a lot of potential energy to transfer to the turbine.

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

There is a large drop, so the water will have a lot of potential energy to transfer to the turbine.

Hydroelectric dams are built to exploit the potential energy of water at height. The larger the drop, the more potential energy the water possesses, which can then be converted into kinetic energy as it flows down and subsequently into electrical energy through the turbines.