Electric generatorU.S. NRC image of a modern steam turbine generator (STG)In electricity generation, a generator, also called an electric generator, electrical generator, and electromagnetic generator is an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy for use in an external circuit.
Electric chargeElectric charge (symbol q, sometimes Q) is a physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when placed in an electromagnetic field. Electric charge can be positive or negative. Like charges repel each other and unlike charges attract each other. An object with no net charge is referred to as electrically neutral.Chemical energyChemical energy is the energy of chemical substances that is released when the substances undergo a chemical reaction and transform into other substances. Some examples of storage media of chemical energy include batteries, food, and gasoline (as well as oxygen gas, which is of high chemical energy due to its relatively weak double bond and indispensable for chemical-energy release in gasoline combustion).Electrical energyElectrical energy is the energy transferred as electric charges move between points with different electric potential, that is, as they move across a potential difference. As electric potential is lost or gained, work is done changing the energy of some system. The amount of work in joules is given by the product of the charge that has moved, in coulombs, and the potential difference that has been crossed, in volts.
ElectromagnetismIn physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge via electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It is the dominant force in the interactions of atoms and molecules. Electromagnetism describes and relates the three distinct but closely intertwined phenomena of electricity, magnetism, and optics.
Electric batteryAn electric battery is a source of electric power consisting of one or more electrochemical cells with external connections for powering electrical devices. When a battery is supplying power, its positive terminal is the cathode and its negative terminal is the anode. The terminal marked negative is the source of electrons.
VoltThe volt (symbol: V), named after Alessandro Volta, is the unit of measurement of electric potential, electric potential difference (voltage), and electromotive force in the International System of Units (SI). DefinitionOne volt is defined as the electric potential between two points of a conducting wire when an electric current of one ampere dissipates one watt of power between those points.
EnergyPhysical quantityEnergy (from Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια (enérgeia) 'activity') is the quantitativeproperty that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the capacity to do work and in the form of heat and light. Energy is a conserved quantity—the law of conservation of energy states that energy can be converted in form, but not created or destroyed. The unit of measurement for energy in the International System of Units (SI) is the joule (J).
Electrical networkAn electrical network is an interconnection of electrical components (e.g., batteries, resistors, inductors, capacitors, switches, transistors) or a model of such an interconnection, consisting of electrical elements (e.g., voltage sources, current sources, resistances, inductances, capacitances). An electrical circuit is a network consisting of a closed loop, giving a return path for the current.
Energy transformationEnergy transformation, also known as energy conversion, is the process of changing energy from one form to another. In physics, energy is a quantity that provides the capacity to perform work (e.g. lifting an object) or provides heat. Energy can be converted to different forms or transferred to a different location or object or living being, but it cannot be created or destroyed.
ElectronicsElectronics is a scientific and engineering discipline that studies and applies the principles of physics to design, create, and operate devices that manipulate electrons and other electrically charged particles.
TransducerA transducer is a device that usefully converts energy from one form to another. Usually a transducer converts a signal in one form of energy to a signal in another. Transducers are often employed at the boundaries of automation, measurement, and control systems, where electrical signals are converted to and from other physical quantities (energy, force, torque, light, motion, position, etc.). The process of converting one form of energy to another is known as transduction.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.