Wind Energy
Wind energy is power we capture from moving air, often by spinning blades that turn a generator.
A pinwheel sitting in a bowl spins when air moves across its flat blades. The faster the air moves, the faster the blades spin. A wind turbine works the same way — moving air pushes large flat blades, and that spinning motion powers a generator.
Explaining wind energy by grade level
Wind pushes on things and makes them move. When wind hits a blade on a windmill, the blade spins. That spinning motion can make power, just like a battery does. Bigger blades catch more wind, so they spin with more force.
Projects that explore wind energy
Blade shape and size control how much electricity a generator produces. When blades are too small, they cannot catch enough moving air to turn the shaft at all. Larger trapezoid blades capture more wind — and at 75 degrees, the largest trapezoid blades produced the most milliamps in the experiment.
This project captures wind energy by blowing air from a fan at a small windmill connected to an electric generator. You set the blades at angles from 0 to 90 degrees and read the current output on an ammeter.
Capturing wind energy efficiently requires matching blade pitch to airflow. Too little angle and the blades barely spin because the wind slides past them. Too much angle and the blades stall, blocking airflow instead of channeling it.
This project compares wind energy to hydropower by using a 15-watt fan to spin turbine blades connected to a generator. You measure the output voltage and current to calculate which source converts more input energy into electricity.