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Generating electricity
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Most power stations use a source of energy to turn a turbine connected to a generator. Each resource has advantages and disadvantages.
Energy transfers
Non-renewable resources
Nuclear: no carbon dioxide while running and very reliable, but produces long-lasting radioactive waste and power stations are expensive to build and decommission.
Renewable resources
Hydroelectric: reliable and can start quickly, but flooding valleys destroys habitats.
Solar: no fuel, but no output at night and less when cloudy.
Geothermal: reliable, but only possible in a few places.
Describe the energy transfers in a coal-fired power station.
- Chemical energy in coal is released by burning (thermal).
- Steam drives a turbine (kinetic).
- The generator transfers this to electrical energy.
Answer: Chemical → thermal → kinetic → electrical.
Most power stations heat water to make steam that turns a turbine and generator. Wind and water turn turbines directly; solar cells convert light directly. Fossil fuels are reliable but emit carbon dioxide; nuclear produces radioactive waste; renewables are cleaner but some are unreliable or limited by location.
The interactive lesson includes the diagrams for this topic.
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