INSIDE THE POWER PLANT

Electricity is generated on a large scale at power stations and then transmitted through cables (called the National Grid) to factories and homes. Power stations convert an energy resource into electrical energy. We will be exploring these types of resources in a few days gcsescience.com

INSIDE THE POWER PLANT POWER PLANT EEDElecgen.htmlhttp:// EEDElecgen.html

An electric current is created when a magnet is spun rapidly inside a coil of wire. As you see in the conceptual diagram in the right, a turbine (usually powered by water or wind) spins a magnet inside a coil. This action induces an electric current in the coil that can be used to power a light bulb.

MAGNETS All magnets have two ends, usually marked "north" and "south," the fundamental law of all magnets: Opposites attract and likes repel All magnets are surrounded by a magnetic field.

MAGNETIC FIELD A magnetic field is a region around the magnet where magnet materials experience a force. The shape of the magnetic field around the magnet is shown by lines. Arrows on the lines point away from North and towards South to show the direction of the magnetic field. The magnetic field is represented with the variable B and is measured in a unit called Tesla

CURRENT INDUCES A MAGNETIC FIELD Current running through a conductor will produce a magnetic field This is why we saw a deflection on the compass needle in the Circuit lab. The magnetic field in the wires were interacting with the magnetic field of the compass

Direction of Magnetic Field You can work out the direction of the field using your right clenched fist. Point your thumb upwards in the same direction as the current. The direction of the field is the same direction in which your fingers curl. gcsescience.com