Before the industrial revolution and the discovery of electricity, large machines were powered by diverting water over a large paddle wheel In Colonial villages, grinding mills were built alongside the local stream. Water was diverted from the stream and tumbled down over a large paddle wheel. The kinetic energy from the water turned the wheel, which operated a grain grinding stone inside the building. The grinding stone was used to mill whole grains into flour for household use.
Once a waterwheel begins to turn, it can be used to power an assortment of mechanical devices. The water wheel is an energy transfer device, and the energy can be transferred to any mechanical device. The waterwheel could be connected to a pump, and used to pump water from the stream throughout the village. A school science project can demonstrate how the energy in the turning paddle wheel can be utilized by many other devices to benefit a large number of people.
A waterwheel can be connected to an electrical generator to demonstrate how the kinetic energy of the stream is transferred and converted into electrical energy. This experiment requires creating a waterwheel which spins fast enough to turn an electric generator. As the waterwheel spins the generator, the generator produces electrical energy. By connecting the generator to an electrical light bulb circuit, the electrical energy is displayed physically, and students can calculate the amount of energy used to light the light bulb.
Another waterwheel experiment involves creating a paddle wheel boat. Rather than receiving the energy from the water and converting it into mechanical energy. The paddle wheel boat converts energy in the opposite direction. The paddle wheel is turned by energy released from a boiler and piston engine. As the paddle wheel turns, it propels the boat through the water. The chemical energy released by the boiler is converted to mechanical energy used by the paddle wheel, which utilizes friction between the paddle wheel and the water to move the boat.