Generating Electricity

This lesson covers how electricity is generated from different energy resources, and how it is distributed through the National Grid, as required by the Edexcel GCSE Physics specification (1PH0), Topic 3: Conservation of Energy. You need to understand the basic principles of generators, how different power stations work, and why transformers are used.

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The Basic Principle: Generators

Most power stations — whether they use fossil fuels, nuclear fuel, or renewable sources — generate electricity using the same basic principle:

A generator converts kinetic energy into electrical energy by rotating a coil of wire (or a magnet) inside a magnetic field. This changing magnetic field induces (creates) a voltage across the coil.

You do not need to know the details of electromagnetic induction at this stage, but you should understand the basic idea:

• A magnet or coil of wire rotates.
• This creates a changing magnetic field.
• The changing magnetic field induces a voltage (and therefore a current if the circuit is complete).

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How a Fossil Fuel Power Station Works

The majority of electricity is still generated in power stations that burn fossil fuels. The energy transfer chain is: