Where does electricity come from? For many students, the answer is obvious: “an outlet!” However, when they are asked to trace the route to the outlet back further, some students will follow the electric lines back to a power plant, and there the trail often goes cold. When comparing and assessing alternative energies, it can be difficult to get students to move beyond the obvious, largely because they don’t really understand how power is generated.
Author: Pamela Weghorst