Part 3 Science Quick Check. 1 correct answer per question.

Question

8. Which statement correctly identifies the relative levels of kinetic and potential energy in a hydroelectric dam?
a. Kinetic and potential energy are both highest at the bottom.
b. Kinetic and potential energy are both highest at the top.
c. Kinetic energy is highest at the bottom; potential energy is highest at the top.
d. Kinetic energy is highest at the top; potential energy is highest at the bottom.

9. A team of engineers is working with a wind turbine. The team is working with a model and testing different angles for the blade of the wind turbine. What would the research question be for this team?
a. Which angle converts the largest percentage of kinetic energy from the wind into kinetic energy of the turbine?
b. Which angle converts the largest percentage of potential energy from the wind into kinetic energy of the turbine?
c. Which angle converts the largest percentage of kinetic energy from the wind into potential energy of the turbine?
d. Which angle converts the largest percentage of potential energy from the wind into potential energy of the turbine?

10. Use the diagram to answer the question.

The water in the dam is stored at the top. This stored water flows into the turbine, causing it to rotate. The turbine, in turn, rotates the shaft of a generator that produces electricity.

The turbines can be seen inside this hydroelectric dam. Why are they located at that particular height?
a. There is a small drop, so the water will still have a lot of potential energy to transfer to the turbine.
b. There is a small drop, so the water will still have a lot of kinetic energy to transfer to the turbine.
c. There is a large drop, so the water will have a lot of potential energy to transfer to the turbine.
d. There is a large drop, so the water will have a lot of kinetic energy to transfer to the turbine.

11. Two different rivers have drops that are the same height. In river A, this drop of the river is a waterfall. In river B, this drop has the generator for a hydroelectric dam. In what way does the energy of the water differ between the drops in the two rivers?
a. The kinetic energy of the water would be greater at the bottom of the drop in the waterfall river A than at the hydroelectric dam in river B.
b. The potential energy of the water would be greater at the top of the drop in the waterfall river A than at the hydroelectric dam in river B.
c. The kinetic energy of the water would be less at the bottom of the drop in the waterfall river A than at the hydroelectric dam river B.
d. The potential energy of the water would be less at the top of the drop in the waterfall river A than at the hydroelectric dam in river B.

Answer 1

Here are the correct answers for each question based on the principles of energy in hydroelectric systems:

8. c. Kinetic energy is highest at the bottom; potential energy is highest at the top.

9. a. Which angle converts the largest percentage of kinetic energy from the wind into kinetic energy of the turbine?

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

11. a. The kinetic energy of the water would be greater at the bottom of the drop in the waterfall river A than at the hydroelectric dam in river B.