Eli5 : After seing the meme of a guy going back in time and unable to answer to the question “how is this so-called electricity made?”, I’m actually really asking myself the question.
In: Engineering
The most common way is mechanically. A generator spins coils of wire inside of magnets which generates an electrical current. We use generators in nuclear power plants, coal power plants, wind turbines, etc. Wherever you have something spinning there’s a generator attached that generates power. Another way is photovoltaically. Solar panels are made of a special material that generates power by exciting electrons which jump between energy states which generates electricity. Electricity can also be made chemically. A substance that wants to get rid of electrons is paired with a substance that wants electrons. This is commonly known as a battery. When the two substances are connected via say a wire, the electrons flow which produces electricity. The short answer is there are a number of ways to do it and it can become very complicated trying to explain it all but I think those are the basics.
There are a bunch of ways. Silicon-based semiconductors will be quite beyond a medieval peasant so getting it from light is out. Mechanical is dead simple tho, get a magnet, get a metal wire, move one across the other fast, BAM you induced voltage. If you cover the wire in insulator (paper, wax infused thin cloth, etc. work fine) and make a tightly wound coil, the effectiveness of the generator skyrockets. Do whatever for energy source, steam machine, water wheel, windmill, a serf running really fast in circles holding a crank. You can also make a chemical battery, only needs two different metals and something acidic to dip them into.
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