Wind Power

I saw on the news recently that they were constructing wind turbines to generate electricity near where I live. Producing electricity in this manner is called green power (technologies that do not adversely affect the environment). But what do you know about the wind and wind power? The best place to start when investigating a new topic is a site designed for students. The Franklin Online Institute's Investigating Wind Energy is just such a site. It has a resource center that includes a photo gallery (images of the effect of the wind), a video gallery, a listing of other online sites you might want to visit and a book list. It then continues on to investigate what exactly wind energy is. There are directions for building a windmill and an anemometer (a device used to measure wind speed).

One site listed in the online resource section that may be of particular interest is Wind Power. Here you will find a basic introduction to wind power. Sections are short, very readable and cover topics such as theory, application and case history.

You might also like to take a look atMiami Museum of Science's Observing The Wind. This site, directed toward younger students, gives directions for making various apparatuses to see, hear and measure the speed and direction of the wind.

Another site of interest is Wind Power Gathers Speed. This is an Australian site that discusses using wind turbines to produce energy.

If you would like to learn more about the history of wind power, visit Illustrated History of Wind Power Development. This site traces the evolution of wind power from its beginnings (1000 B.C.-1300 A.D.), when it was used to grind grain and pump water, to the present day and the production of electricity. This is a well-researched site with interesting illustrations accompanying the text.

A more advance site about wind, wind power and the wind turbine is the Danish site Wind Power. Read about the history of wind turbines, then take the guided tour on wind energy. There is a section for kids that you don't want to miss. It is really well done, using animation to explain the parts of the turbine and how they work. Learning can be fun. Also visit the British Wind Energy Association for the British perspective on wind power. This site includes an explanation of how a wind turbine works and how to make your own. Both sites provide a wealth of information on the subject.

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