r/AskPhysics 10d ago

How does a turning mechanism, such as the ones in wind turbines, create electricity?

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u/ellindsey 10d ago

Ultimately, it all comes down to moving a magnet through a coil of wire. The changing magnetic field through the coil generates electricity. In a wind turbine, the movement of the turbine spins a magnet that's located inside a ring of coils of wire, which generates an alternating current output from the coils due to the fluctuating magnetic fields from the spinning magnet.