Electricity. We all use it daily but how is it actually made and where does it come from? Tutoring how electricity is made is one of my favorite parts of teaching Physics. In this BBC video you will see a couple of young children being shown around a power station, and then seeing an excellent, clear demo of a kettle, a turbine and magnets that show how a power station actually works.

How is electricity made? – BBC Education

Steam Turbine

When I was 18 I was sponsored by Rolls Royce’s Industrial Power Generation branch of companies, and I took a year out with them before joining university at 19 as a first year. That year turned out to be an invaluable experience and it has come in so very handy when tutoring. I worked in a steam turbine and diesel engine factory, WH Allen of Bedford. And then a year later I worked for an electrical power generators and transformers company. I got to know a lot about power generation at a young age.

Making electricity is no magic though, and relies on some simple part of Physics all coming together. Amazingly this video is pitched for primary school children, but in reality it is invaluable during my online GCSE Physics tuition sessions. The kids are transported by curios cat the narrator to a gas-powered power plant. They get to see how a boiler, steam turbine and a generator work through a simple demo of a kettle boiling steam into a bunch of spoons set up as rotating vanes. There’s also a simple demo of electromagnetic induction using magnets, a conductor and a LED lamp.

So if you are preparing for your GCSE exam, or are just curious to how electricity is made, then click away on the link above and start your journey!