Fill in the blanks:
To make electricity:
Coal heats water>
heat makes ______>
turbines turn
steam
To make electricity:
1. Coal heats water:
First, coal is burned in a power plant's boiler to produce heat. The heat generated from burning coal is used to heat water in large boilers. This process is known as combustion.
2. Heat makes steam:
The hot water is converted into steam by transferring the heat energy from the coal combustion to the water. The steam is produced at high pressure and temperature as the heat energy is absorbed by the water.
3. Turbines turn:
The high-pressure steam is then directed to a turbine, which is a large rotor with multiple blades. As the steam flows over the turbine blades, it causes them to spin rapidly. This spinning motion converts the thermal energy of the steam into mechanical energy in the form of rotational motion.
4. Generating electricity:
The spinning turbines are connected to a generator. Inside the generator, the rotational motion of the turbine shaft is used to rotate a set of electromagnets within a magnetic field. This motion induces the generation of electric current in the electromagnets, converting the mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Overall, the process involves burning coal to produce heat, utilizing that heat to generate steam, directing the steam to turn turbines, and finally, using the spinning of the turbines to generate electricity.