The National Grid System
Ever wondered how electricity gets from power stations to your phone charger? The national grid is like a massive electrical highway that connects power stations to every home and business in the country.
Transformers are the clever devices that make this whole system work safely. They're essentially two coils of wire wrapped around a magnetic core, and the number of coils determines whether they step voltage up or down. Think of them as electrical gear shifters!
Here's the brilliant bit: step-up transformers boost voltage from around 25,000V to a whopping 400,000V for transmission lines. This might seem dangerous, but it's actually genius - higher voltage means lower current, and that's exactly what we want.
Quick Tip: Remember P = I²R - this formula shows why reducing current (I) dramatically cuts power losses in cables.
The system uses thick cables and high voltages specifically to minimise energy waste. Less current flowing through low-resistance cables means the wires don't heat up much, so hardly any power gets lost along the way.