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THE LITTLE WONDER ATLAS · AGES 6–12 WITH A GROWN-UP

A hydroelectric dam

Some dams store water that can help generate electricity.

No timer. No account. Learn at your pace.
Simplified learning picture, not to scale. Numbers match the explanations below. All meaning is available in words; colour is not required.

Follow the wonder

Choose a numbered step to highlight its place in the picture.

  1. Water is stored behind the dam, higher than the water below.

  2. Water flows downhill through a pipe called a penstock to a turbine at the base of the dam.

  3. Water turns the turbine blades inside the flow passage. A straight shaft connects the turbine to the generator above.

  4. The generator above the turbine makes electricity. Water leaves through the outlet below and flows downstream.

TRY ONE QUESTION · HINTS ARE WELCOME

What turns the turbine?

Take your time. You can read the map again.

Show me the answer

Moving water

Where shall we go next?

A water-cycle adventure →A simple electric circuit →How a bridge carries a load →
For grown-ups: sources and learning notes

Reviewed 28 September 2026. These are introductory explanations; the diagrams simplify real structures and processes.