How is it generated?

From the basic principles of electricity generation by Michael Faraday, supply authorities have been able to generate electricity from various fuel sources.

If a single wire is passed through a magnetic field, a small pulse of electricity will be produced. However, it would not be possible to generate enough electricity to light the tiniest light bulb with this method.

If the magnet revolves inside a coil of wire, then energy of motion is transformed into electric energy, and an electric current will flow through the wire.

In power stations, a powerful electromagnet (rotor) is mounted on a shaft supported between bearings. This rotates inside a cylindrical iron shell (stator) containing slots through which the conductors are wound.

The current produced by this type of generator flows momentarily in one direction through the conductors and then it reverses and flows in the opposite direction, this cycle is repeated continuously. This is called "alternating current", generally shortened to the abbreviation "A/C."

The A/C. used throughout Victoria flows alternatively in each direction 50 times each second. This frequency gives some idea of the speed the coil must turn. In technical terms, the unit of frequency is the Hertz (i.e.. 1Hz = 1 cycle per second).

A current that continuously flows in one direction is called a "direct current", or abbreviated as "D/C" An example of direct current is the power supplied by a battery. Direct current is used for electroplating processes, railway and tramway systems and other motor driven applications where a smooth and wide range of speed control is required.

Since D/C transmission systems involving long distances are generally not economical, all electricity generated at power stations is A/C. If D/C use is preferred, the electricity is transmitted as A/C to the place of use, then is converted into D/C by means of devices called converters or rectifiers.