If you read the introduction to this website, you probably remember the scenario we posed in which someone wakes up to discover that nothing in his house--his refrigerator, electric coffee maker, cordless telephone, and automobile--works. You may have wondered whether the disappearance of fossil fuels would actually produce the effects outlined in the introduction. If fossil fuels were our only source of energy, then that situation would unfortunately be quite possible.

You see, almost every aspect of our lives is governed by energy. Think about it. Without energy, we could not produce the electricity we use to power appliances from computers to electric lights to radios and televisions.

So how do we convert energy to electricity? Usually, a fuel such as coal or wood is burned to heat a liquid (usually water or oil) to boiling. Thus, the stored solar energy within the fuel has been converted to thermal, or heat energy.

The vapor (All about Vapor Pressure) from the heated liquid moves through a vent containing a turbine, a propeller-like device with a magnetic coil. The movement of the vapor makes the turbine spin (converting the thermal energy of the vapor to rotational kinetic energy), thereby creating an oscillating (having wave-like properties) magnetic field within the turbine itself. Because magnetic and electric fields are closely related (you may have heard of the electromagnetic spectrum), the oscillating magnetic field produces electricity in an electricity generator. It is this electricity that powers all of our beloved appliances.