Materials Required:
l Pencil
l Paper Plate with ridges along the edges
l Water faucet
Procedure:
- Push a pencil through the center of the plate, wriggling the pencil back and forth to make the hole loose.
- Turn on the tap water to produce a steady stream. Hold the pencil so that one edge of the plate touches the water. The plate will spin. Turn the faucet higher and the plate will spin faster.
This Is What Happens:
You have just built a waterwheel. Waterwheels many times the size of your model are used in large rivers and near waterfalls. The water causes the waterwheel to turn, and the turning motion generates electricity. We call the energy that is made this way hydroelectric power.