Physics HELP PLEASE !

[Turbo93]

Alright am doing 2008 paper 3 and there is a question that says :

Describe how energy from the sun becomes stored energy in water behind a dam.

I read the marking scheme and its still not getting into my mind

Any bright answers ?

 

[libra94]

the heat energy frm the sun is used to heat the water and then causes the evaporation of water
up, in the sky the water vapours form clouds
then the vapours may condense into liquid (rainfall)
this rain water can be stored and collected behind the dam

 

[AnnoyingCarrot123]

The question was clear especially when it says "stored energy" meaning Potential Energy
so How does the water gets that "stored energy".
rays from the sun radiate and goes to the water which rises the temperature of water, as it rise it temperature it evaporates (gains kinetic energy) and escape from the surface, as it goes to form a cloud it has More PE and less KE and if it fall as precipitate it has more KE and less PE. As it settles on ground it has No KE but has PE
Hope that answers your question.

 

[ChrisChin]

Evaporation results in gain in PE, not KE.

Energy from the sun is Heat or Thermal energy, evaporation under the concept latent heat of evaporation produces no change in kinetic energy, but since there is change in volume/size, there is gain in PE. Percipitation deposits water behind the dam, the relative increase and decrease in PE while above the height of the dam isn't very important but I'd include it for completeness. The final form of energy in water behind dam is PE, therefore:

HE --> PE (evaporation) --> KE + PE (precipitation) --> PE