How Does Hydropower Work? By Olivia and Parker

Purpose To see if water can life a small objects

Hypothesis I think that the water will lift the washers. Why? Because the water spins the cork and plastic blades causing the string to turn and lift the washers.

Materials 1. ruler 12. duct tape 2. two corks 13. marker 3. 2 liter plastic bottle 4. large funnel 5. two paper clips 6. 16 inches sewing thread 7. one wooden barbeque skewer 8. sink for water 9. small objects (small fishing sinker, an eraser) 10. scissors 11. craft knife (have an adult help you use it)

Procedure You make slits by using a craft knife by putting slits in the cork and by drilling a hole in the cork. Next, you put the cork on the skewer and take two paper clips by bending the paper clips into an S shape with a loop on top. Then, you tape them to the funnel. You take both sides of the skewer and then put it through the bended hole of the paper clips. You tie a string to the other cork and put the cork on the sharp side of the skewer and then you run it under water, which causes us to have hydropower. Go to the sink and turn the water on medium stream. Put what you just build under the water with the plastic blades under the water. Watch the blades spin and see what happens. Try this three times

Results The water turns the cork around and then when the cork turns the skewer will turn and then when the skewer turns, it turns the other cork and it brings the string up and lifts the washers.

Conclusion After doing the experiment, we understand how water can cause an object to spin creating energy to lift a small object. This is how hydropower works. Our hypothesis was correct. Next time maybe will try to make it bigger to lift even heavier objects.

Acknowledgements I would like to thank my mom get some of the materials and Mrs. Larsen for helping us cut the plastic.