Energy Transformation = Big City Lights

What runs a city that never sleeps....one mega-load of electricity!!! A mega-load of electricity must come from somewhere and in Las-Vegas, Nevada you can give the credit to the Hoover Dam. Hoover Dam is one of several hydroelectric generating stations; it is actually the world's 35th largest!!!

How does this happen you may ask??? Large amounts of water can be very powerful, so why not use it! The kinetic energy of falling water can be used to generate electricity. Water is backed up behind a dam on river. Once this is completed a lake or reservoir is formed. Lake Mead was formed once Hoover dam was built. The water near the top of the dam then falls downward. The kinetic energy of the moving water spins generators, which produce electricity. The potential energy of the water behind the dam is transformed into electric energy. From the electricity that is generated from Hoover Dam, 23 % is allocated to the state of Nevada and on the other side of the river, 19 % is allocated to the state of Arizona.

Check out the generators in Hoover Dam that I photographed while I visited this national landmark.

Think About It?

Ask a sixth grade student the following question.

Is the electrical energy from Hoover Dam a new creation?