How Power Generators Work

If you have moved clips around using a magnet, then you have dabbled in the principles behind the most complex electric generators. The magnetic field in charge for lining all those bits of metal in a proper Mohawk haircut is because of the electron movements. Put a magnet to a paper clip and you will force the electrons in the paper clip to move. Equally, if you let electrons move through a wire, a magnetic field would form on the wire.

There's a definite link among the phenomena of magnetism and electricity. A power generator is just a machine that moves a magnet to a wire to make a stable flow of electrons. The act that forces this movement differs greatly, ranging from steam engines and hand cranks to nuclear fission, but the principle stays the same.

One easy way to think about a generator is to think it just like a pump through a pipe. Only instead of pumping water, a power generator utilizes a magnet to force electrons along. This is a minor overview, but it paints a picture of the things at work in a power generator. A pump moves a number of water molecules and uses a particular amount of pressure. Similarly, the magnet in a power generator pushes a particular number of electrons and uses a certain pressure to the electrons.

In an electric circuit, the amount of electrons in movement is called the current or amperage, and it is measured in amperes. The amount of "pressure" pushing the electrons is called the voltage and is measured in volts. For example, a power generator spinning at 1000 RPM may produce 1 ampere at 6 volts. The 1 ampere is the amount of electrons moving, and the voltage is the pressure on those electrons.

A power generator might get your electrons moving, but you will need an electric circuit to do something with it.