Skip to main content

How do wind turbines work? - Rebecca J. Barthelmie and Sara C. Pryor

1,130,140 Views

37,627 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Every 24 hours, wind generates enough kinetic energy to produce roughly 35 times more electricity than humanity uses each day. And unlike coal or oil, this resource is totally renewed each day. So how can we harness this incredible amount of energy, and is it possible to create a world powered entirely by wind? Rebecca Barthelmie and Sara Pryor dig into the science of wind turbine technology.

If a wind turbine has a hub-height of 100 m, and a rotor diameter of 120 m, what is the greatest height that the blade reaches above the ground?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Rebecca J. Barthelmie, Sara C. Pryor
  • Director Gavin Edwards
  • Narrator Alexandra Panzer
  • Music Stephen LaRosa
  • Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam

More from Inventions that Shape History