How is electricity generated?
Video: Generating electricity
A two-minute video showing how to generate electricity by spinning a magnet in a coil of wire.
Narrator: You’ll need stationery to make a small box, insulated wire, wire-cutters and sandpaper, an LED bulb, a nail and, lastly, some strong ceramic bar magnets. These can be bought online by an adult who can help you use them.
Make a box that is big enough for the magnets to spin inside. Cut, fold and form your box, securing it with some sticky tape.
Carefully make a hole and push the nail through the middle of the box, and out the other side.
Use the pen to unspool the insulated copper wire.
Then wrap the wire around either side of the nail. Make sure you wrap it at least 250 times.
Cut the wire to leave you with two loose ends. And then, using the sandpaper, scrape away the insulation on them.
Tightly wrap each end of wire around an individual leg on the LED. Attach the magnets to the nail, making sure they spin freely like a wheel.
Next, spin the magnets as quickly as you can and you’ll see the bulb very faintly lighting up.
As the magnets spin they induce an electric current in the coil of wire, which powers the LED.
The faster you spin the magnets, the more often the light comes on and the brighter it flashes.
You have created a basic generator.
Question
What bathroom appliance have scientists discovered can generate electricity?
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University have developed a new toilet system that converts human waste to generate electricity!
Practical experiment - Generate electricity
Follow this step-by-step slideshow.

Image caption, WHAT YOU NEED: stationery to make a small box, cardboard, insulated wire, wire cutters and sandpaper, an LED bulb and strong ceramic bar magnets.

Image caption, STEP 1 - MAKE BOX: Cut and fold the box...

Image caption, ...then secure it with sticky tape.

Image caption, STEP 2 - PUSH NAIL: Carefully make a hole and push the nail through the middle of the box and out through the other side.

Image caption, STEP 3 - WRAP WIRE: Put a pen through the spool of copper wire to help you unspool it...

Image caption, ...and wrap the wire at least 250 times around either side of the nail.

Image caption, STEP 4 - CONNECT LED: Cut the wire to leave two loose ends. Using the sandpaper, scrape away the insulation on the last few centimetres of the wire, then tightly wrap each end around a leg on the LED bulb.

Image caption, STEP 5 - ADD MAGNETS: Attach the magnets either side of the nail, making sure they spin freely like a wheel.

Image caption, STEP 6 - SPIN TO LIGHT: Spin the magnets as quickly as you can and you’ll see the bulb light up. The moving magnetic field from the spinning magnets induces a current in the coil of wire. You have made your own electricity generator!
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