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

Electricity in powerplants is created by spinning magnets in a coil. The law of induction then forces a current to flow in the coil. A changing magnetic field creates a “whirl” of electrical field.

So that means you can use literally anything that moves to spin the magnet. Burning coal heats water, steam turns turbine. Nuclear decay heats water to make steam. Water or Wind can also drive a turbine.

The only odd one is photovoltaik (wich uses a semiconductor that is set up in a way that light is able to kick an electron over a barrier but it has to take the long way through the consumers to get back) and a few more exotic designs that use similar effects.