Question

Water stored in a dam will possess,
A. no energy
B. electrical energy
C. kinetic energy
D. potential energy

Answer 1

Hint: A dam is actually a barrier that prevents or restricts the flow of water or underground streams. Reservoirs made by dams not only suppress floods but also give us water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigability. A dam which stores water at height possesses some kind of energy which is transferred to another form when it is flowing down.

Complete step-by-step answer:
The purpose of a dam is to impound or to store water, wastewater or liquid born substances for any of several reasons, such as flood control, human water supply, irrigation, and livestock water supply, generation of energy such as electricity, containment of mine tailings, recreation, or pollution control. The water high up in the dam contains gravitational potential energy. This is transferred or changed its form into kinetic energy as the water rushes down through tubes inside the dam. The moving water will rotate electrical generators, which are being built inside the dam. Therefore the dam possesses potential energy. When it is allowed to move this energy is being converted to kinetic energy.

So, the correct answer is “Option D”.

Note:
The dam is much thicker at the bottom side than it is at the top side. This is due to the pressure of the water being much higher when it is deeper down and the dam requires it to be thick at the bottom so that it is hard enough to withstand this larger pressure. The pressure applied to walls of the dam is a function of the quantity of water that is over a specific point on the wall. So water pressure is very high at the bottom due to its large depth. This brings the dam a different shape.