how exactly is electricity created and why are there so many ways to do it (ie hydro, coal, nuclear,etc)

Question

how exactly is electricity created and why are there so many ways to do it (ie hydro, coal, nuclear,etc)

In: 26

Answer 1

You cannot create (or destroy) energy, you can only convert it from one form to another.

So electricity is created when you convert one form of energy (chemical energy, potential energy, kite if energy, heat energy) into electricity.

In 2019 this is how the world’s electricity was generated :

* Coal 37%
* Natural Gas 24%
* Hydro 16%
* Nuclear 10%
* Wind 5%
* Solar 3%
* Other 5%

[Source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_generation)

If we exclude Solar and “other” then 92% of the world’s electricity is produced by turning a generator.

With hydro you use the potential and kinetic energy of falling water (e.g. in the lake in a dam) to turn a turbine which is attached to the generator.

With wind you use the kinetic energy of the wind as it passes by the huge blades which makes then turn, and that turns your generator.

With Coal, Natural Gas, and Nuclear you boil water and turn it into steam. That steam then passes by a turbine which makes it turn, and that turns your generator. You turn chemical energy (the fuel) into heat energy into kinetic energy into electricity.

Ultimately it comes down to : turning a generator produces electricity.