AP Environmental Science 6.L: Hydroelectricity
Practice AP Environmental Science questions on dams, reservoirs, river turbines, tidal energy, water flow, and hydroelectric generation.
- Syllabus
- Effective Fall 2025
- Course
- AP Environmental Science
Practice AP Environmental Science questions on dams, reservoirs, river turbines, tidal energy, water flow, and hydroelectric generation.
A homeowner in the Northern Hemisphere is considering installing photovoltaic (PV) panels on the roof of the home to help provide electricity for the home. The homeowner has read conflicting reports on which compass direction the panels should face to maximize the amount of electricity (in kWh) that the panels can produce.
The diagram below shows another way of generating electricity using a renewable resource. The arrows indicate the flow of water.

HYDROELECTRIC POWER GENERATION
Identify the location shown in the diagram where the kinetic energy of the water is transformed into mechanical energy.
- Turbine
Explain why the water in the storage reservoir has potential energy that is useful in hydroelectric power generation.
Explain why the water in the storage reservoir has potential energy that is useful in hydroelectric power generation.
Accept one of the following:
- The dam holds water at a higher elevation than the turbine and is allowed to flow downhill toward the turbine.
- Water has potential energy due to gravity allowing water to flow down toward the turbine when released.
- The greater the difference between the dam height (head) and position of the turbine, the more hydrostatic pressure is built up.
Explain how coupling hydroelectric power with solar or wind power is an advantage to providing a constant source of electricity to a community.
Accept one of the following:
- Solar and wind power are both intermittent as result of weather changing from day to day (or day to night) so hydroelectric power could be used to provide electricity when the solar or wind power is unavailable/not sufficient for electricity demand.
- Solar or wind power could be used to pump water into a reservoir increasing the amount of water behind the dam to increase hydroelectric power generation.