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| Power and electricity generation |
The advancements made by science and technology have not only developed new sources of power but have also increased our electricity nothing from our kitchen blender to the heavy industry would work. Electricity can be seen visibly only when the lightning strikes in the skies. Otherwise it is quietly flowing through the wires in our houses in the form of electrons. A large part of the energy produced in the world is obtained from fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. There are power stations in many countries which use coal or oil as a fuel to generate electricity. Electricity is also generated by turning large turbines with water falling with great force from dams.
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Today power stations also produce electricity from Nuclear materials. Power generated by these power stations is first fed into a ‘Transformer’ which substantially boosts the voltage, this voltage is transported through cables to various places. Wherever electricity is required, these cables are connected to a local transformer which reduces te voltage in the electricity to levels which are safer and can be used for the various appliances or machined to be run.
Power is also generated form non-conventional sources like the sunlight, windmills etc. Electricity is of two types, i.e., ‘Current Electricity’ and ‘Static Electricity’. The electricity which flows through the wires in our houses is current electricity because it is capable of moving. Static electricity on the other hand is different. Since all things contain as equal number of positive and negative electrons, they cancel out against each other. An increase in any one of the electrons produces static electricity.
If we place a sheet of plastic on a piece of paper, it does not stick to it. If we rub across the plastic and again place a it over the paper, it sticks to the paper, this effect is produced because static electricity is created.
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