•An electric generator is a device or machine that is used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. It is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, a scientific law that was discovered by British scientist Michael Faraday and American scientist Joseph Henry in 1831. The principle states that when an electric conductor, such as a copper wire, is moved through a magnetic field, electric current will flow through the conductor. The mechanical energy of the moving wire is converted into the electric energy. Faraday and Henry found that when you move a magnet in a coil of wire, electric current is generated.

•Faraday's law of induction shows that a moving magnetic field will cause electrons to move. Generators create electron movement in the copper wire coils contained within by moving them through a magnetic field. Faraday built the first electromagnetic generator, called the Faraday disc, which was a simple copper disc rotating between the poles of a horseshoe magnet. It produced a small DC voltage and large amounts of current that was inefficient, but a good start for future generators.

•Generator magnets apply pressure to the electrons to push them and create a flow or current of electricity. The number of moving electrons is called the amperage or the current and is measured in amps. The pressure pushing the electrons is called the voltage and is measured in volts.

•A generator is basically created by a mechanical force that turns a conductive wire or bar within a magnetic field. The force used to spin the conductive object can be provided by many sources, such as moving water, steam, wind, gas engine or even hand-cranked levers. The electricity then flows into an electric motor or other electric-powered device, which reverses the process and the electricity makes it move. Small generators create a magnetic field with permanent magnets. Larger generators create a magnetic field with a set of metal coils with electric current flowing through them; this is an electromagnet.