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Steam or just a load of hot air?

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Diagram of equation representing water plus heat equals steam
Steam or just a load of hot air?

SUBJECTS:  Science

YEARS:  5–6


Take a journey with two 2013 Sleek Geeks Eureka Science Schools Prize finalists, as they present their take on the history of steam power.

See how they link steam power, the properties of water and the way energy is converted.

WARNING: if flickering light affects you, you may be best to avoid watching this video.


Things to think about

  1. 1.What is steam? How can it be used to generate power? What are some properties of water and what forms can water take?
  2. 2.Take note as Lucas describes what happens when water is heated. Does steam take up space? Two uses of steam are presented: one from the past, the other from the present. What used steam power in the past? What uses steam power now?
  3. 3.Draw a basic diagram showing how water is changed into steam. What labels can you add to explain what is happening? Show how steam is converted into energy. How is it used to make a turbine turn?
  4. 4.Find out about other sources of energy used today to generate electricity. Are they sustainable? Is steam power considered sustainable? Why or why not?



Production Date: 2013

Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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