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The device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy is called?
A. A motor
B. A generator
C. A transformer
D. A battery
Correct Answer Is Option = A generator
Notes / Explanation
The device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy is called a generator, sometimes also known as a dynamo, and it is one of the most important devices in the modern world, being the means by which most of our electricity is produced. Mechanical energy is the energy of movement, and electrical energy is the energy of electricity, and a generator is a device that converts the one into the other, taking mechanical energy, in the form of movement, and turning it into electrical energy. A generator works on a principle discovered in the study of electricity and magnetism, according to which, when a conductor such as a coil of wire is moved within a magnetic field, or when a magnetic field is made to change near a conductor, an electric current is produced in the conductor. A generator uses this principle by causing a coil to turn within a magnetic field, or a magnet to turn near coils, so that the movement produces an electric current. To make the generator turn, mechanical energy is needed to provide the movement, and this may come from various sources: from the force of flowing or falling water, as in the generation of electricity at dams; from steam produced by heating water, the heat coming from burning fuels or from other sources, the steam being used to turn the generator; from the wind, turning the blades of a wind turbine; and from other sources. In all these cases, the source provides the mechanical energy of movement, which the generator converts into electrical energy. The generator is thus the key device by which the energy of movement, from whatever source, is turned into the electricity that we use. The generator is the opposite, in a sense, of the electric motor, which does the reverse, converting electrical energy into mechanical energy, that is, using electricity to produce movement. The study of the generator and the production of electricity is an important part of the science of physics. For PPSC and other competitive examinations, the key points to remember are that the device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy is called a generator, also known as a dynamo, that it works on the principle that moving a conductor within a magnetic field produces an electric current, that the mechanical energy to turn the generator may come from sources such as flowing water, steam, or the wind, and that the generator is the opposite of the electric motor, which converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.
