Building a Wind Turbine

Objective

Create a model wind turbine to harness wind energy and generate electricity.

Materials

• DC motor
• Blades (e.g., cardboard or plastic)
• Plastic bottle or tubing (for the tower)
• LED light
• Glue or tape
• Notebook for observations

Instructions

1. Attach the blades to the shaft of the DC motor.
2. Secure the motor to the top of the plastic bottle or tubing to create the turbine tower.
3. Connect the motor’s wires to the LED light.
4. Place the wind turbine in a windy location or use a fan to simulate wind.
5. Observe and record how the turbine blades spin and generate electricity to light the LED.
6. Experiment with different blade shapes and sizes to see how it affects the turbine’s efficiency.
7. Analyze your findings to understand the principles of wind energy and turbine design.