Dams

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A dam is a barrier that stores water at a high elevation. Hydroelectric plants use dams to channel high velocity water. Water passing over or through the dam turns the blades of a turbine. As the turbines rotate, they generate electricity.

Figure 4
What is a turbine?
A turbine uses a rotor, a disk of curved blades, to extract energy from flowing water or fast-moving steam. In the turbine above, water pushes against the blades of the rotor, causing it to turn. The rotor then turns an electric generator.

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