WHY IN THE CLASS 10 NCERT SCIENCE TEXTBOOK PAGE 245 TOPIC : HYDRO POWER PLANTS LINE NO. : 3, IT IS WRITTEN THAT "convert the potential energy of falling water into electricity" but I THINK THAT KINETIC ENERGY IS POSSESSED BY FALLING WATER. please help me with this confusion and PLEASE NO SPAM.
Answers
Answer:
Well, if it's written in the textbook that potential energy of falling water is converted into electricity, then there's surely a mistake, because potential energy is possessed by water during it's stay in the reservoir before falling due to the gravitational potential.
Kinetic energy is possessed only by moving objects or particles and so you're right that kinetic energy is possessed by falling water.
However, what I feel is that the writers of the textbook might be trying to convey the fact that the potential energy first possessed by stagnant water is then converted into kinetic energy while the water flows down and which is made to rotate the large turbines turning the axles of the generator to produce huge amounts of useful electricity.