Most dams are built to control river flow, improve navigation, and regulate flooding. However, some dams are built to produce hydroelectric power. These are electric turbines inside a dam. When water from the dam passes through, the turbines spin. This creates electricity.
Hydroelectric power is produced as water passes through a dam, and into a river below.
The more water that passes through a dam, the more energy is produced. Once a dam is built, an artificial man-made lake is created behind the dam. Electricity is produced by a device called a turbine. Turbines contain metal coils surrounded by magnets. When the magnets spin over the metal coils, electricity is produced.