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Generating electricity – WJECConventional power stations

Electricity is a convenient source of energy and can be generated in a number of different ways using either fossil fuels or renewable and sustainable technologies.

Part of Physics (Single Science)Electricity, energy and waves

Conventional power stations

About three-quarters of the electricity which is generated in the UK comes from power stations that are fuelled by fossil fuels.

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  1. Diagram showing a power station, turbines, a generator, a transformer, power lines, a pylon, and a house. Water in the power station is labelled 1.

    Power station

    1. The fuel is burned to boil water to make steam

Power stations generate significant heat losses to the environment. This is an energy transfer diagram for the generation of electricity from a fossil fuel such as coal.

Energy transfer diagram showing Coal (store of chemical energy), Water and steam (store of heat energy), Turbine and Generator. The energy transfers between each one is noted.
Energy transfer for the generation of electricity from a fossil fuel
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