Student Worksheet

Thought-starter: Where does the wind come from?

Instructions to students

In this lesson, you will complete a NAPLAN* style practice test. The test is in multiple choice, matching and short answer formats.

Part A. Multiple choice:

Read the text below and look at the diagram. For questions 1 - 6, write TRUE or FALSE next to the statements. For questions 7 - 16, write your answer as a), b) or c).

Part B. Matching:

Match each object below with its purpose by writing the number of each purpose next to the correct object.

Part C. Short answer:

Define the words that have been underlined in the Reading Text, making sure that the definitions you give make sense in the CONTEXT of the Reading Text.

When the class has finished, swap tests and mark the answers (out of 30). Each answer is worth 1 mark.

Reading Text

An introduction to Hydro Tasmania

Hydro Tasmania provides electrical energy for the people of Tasmania, Australia’s island state. The word ‘hydro’ means ‘water’. Hydro Tasmania has thirty hydropower stations in Tasmania and a wind farm on an island in Bass Strait. Hydro Tasmania operates two wind farms on mainland Tasmania under a joint venture. Hydro Tasmania catches the electrical energy from these sources and sends it to places where it is needed, to power people’s homes and businesses. The information below focuses on wind power production.

How wind makes energy

Wind has been used for thousands of years to move ships, pump water and drive machinery. Wind turbines are designed to turn the kinetic (moving) energy of the wind into electrical energy.

Energy is generated in basically the same way as hydropower. Wind spins a turbine’s blades which in turn spin a magnet inside a coil of conductor (called a generator). Although the basics of generating power are similar to hydropower, there are some important differences:

Wind speed: To cope with variable wind speed, each wind turbine has a gearbox, brakes and an anemometer. The anemometer measures wind direction and speed. The gearbox adjusts the speed of the axle, which ensures the generator is working efficiently. If the wind is too strong, the brakes stop the blades from turning.
Direction changes: When generating hydropower, water is directed down pipes to a turbine. For wind power, the turbine is moved by the wind. The nacelle is the ‘box’ on top of tower. It contains all the important equipment and holds the blades in place. To capture energy from the wind, the whole nacelle turns to face the direction of the wind. It can turn 360 degrees and turn around three times.
Turbines: There is a big difference between the turbines used in hydropower stations and those used on wind farms. There are fewer turbines used for hydropower, and they are very large. Wind turbines are smaller and more numerous. For example, there are three water turbines at Hydro Tasmania’s Gordon Power Station and each one generates around 150 MW (i.e. megawatts, which are units of energy. 1 MW = 1 million watts of energy). At Bluff Point Wind Farm, each wind turbine produces 1.75 MW and there are thirty-seven of them.

Diagram – Wind Farm

Test

Part A. Multiple Choice – Reading Text and Wind Farm Diagram (16 marks)

For questions 1 - 6, write TRUE or FALSE next to the statements.

For questions 7 - 16, write your answer as a), b) or c).

Part B. Matching Activity – Wind Farm Diagram (4 marks)

Based on the visual and written information in the diagram, match each object below with its purpose by writing the number of each purpose next to the correct object (1 mark per pair):

Part C. Short Answer – Reading Text Vocabulary (10 marks)

Some of the words in the Reading Text are underlined. Do you know their meanings? Define each one according to the CONTEXT - i.e. what the words mean as they are used in the Reading Text.

Hydro Tasmania - Producing Electricity from Wind (NAPLAN Reading Practice)

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