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A
turbine turns the gears of the blue .
Inside, copper coils move electrons along a .
The circuit snakes its way from the powerplant to the transmission
to a substation – all the way down to your home, where
it lets you flip a switch to turn on light. |
Electricity
is the controlled movement of electrons inside a conductor (like
a copper wire). This type of electricity is called .
It runs through wires. We can control this movement and use it to
power items like our cars, lights, and computers.
 The
other type of electricity is static electricity. You have seen static
electricity when your hair stands up on dry days. Or maybe you've
dragged your feet across a carpet and shocked someone. Static electricity
is when a pool of electrons is waiting to transfer. When the opportunity
presents itself – ZAP! Luckily, we can take most types of energy
and turn them into current electricity using a generator.
Generators
Generators use magnetic attraction to move electrons along a circuit
(a path). The electrons flow until the attraction is switched off.
(Typically we shut things off with buttons or switches.) A generator
is basically a magnet that spins. As it spins, the electrons are
moved along a wire. The movement of the electrons is the electrical
energy we use. When the generator is shut down, the electrons quit
moving and the electricity stops flowing.
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