What makes the push?
Electricity is a push in a wire—the push of moving electrons. But what
makes the electrons start to push through the wire? Where does
electricity come from?
Electricity is made in a kind of \”electricity factory” called a power
plant. The special machine that makes electricity is called a generator
[(jehn]{.smallcaps} uh ray tuhr).
A generator uses a huge spinning magnet to make electrons move. The pull
of the spinning magnet is strong enough to start electrons pushing in a
wire.
The magnet is surrounded by a huge coil of tightly wound wire. When the
magnet begins to spin, its pull starts millions of electrons pushing!
This push makes a strong electric current in the coiled wire. The
current is sent through other wires from the power plant to your home.
A generator makes electrical energy. But a generator uses energy, too.
Running water, burning fuel, or nuclear energy runs the engines or other
machines that make the huge magnets spin. So a generator actually is an
energy-changing machine. It changes other kinds of energy into
electrical energy— energy you can use.
