Lesson Plan: Hydroelectric Power Physics
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of the lesson teaching students how to describe the advantages and disadvantages of generating electricity from hydroelectric dams.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- recall the basic energy transfers that take place in a hydroelectric dam (gravitational potential electrical energy),
- recall that hydroelectric dams produce alternating current (because they have turbines),
- recall the advantages of hydroelectric dams:
- they are quick to respond to changes in electricity demand,
- they are cheap to maintain once built,
- recall the disadvantages of hydroelectric dams:
- they are expensive to build,
- they use a lot of concrete, which releases lots of into the atmosphere,
- flooding the valley behind the dam leads to plant life rotting underwater, which releases lots of methane and ,
- flooding the valley leads to habitat loss,
- do basic calculations of gravitational potential energy,
- do basic calculations of total power output/installed capacity.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- the different categories of energy,
- the units of energy,
- what electricity is.
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- tidal barrages,
- wave power,
- generators,
- transformers,
- electrical power-transmission networks.
