Generator
The Generator on the Kid Power Bike converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. The back tire of the bike spins the axle of the generator as you pedal (mechanical energy). Attached to the axle are loops of wire that spin around inside stationary magnets. Can you picture the loops of wire spinning around inside the magnetic field? In the 19th century, an English scientist named Michael Faraday observed that an electric current flows in a wire loop surrounded by a changing magnetic field. And that is exactly what happens in the bike generator; a current flows in the wire loops spinning within the magnetic field, generating electricity.
Learn more about generators: generators
Learn more about Faraday's Law: Faraday's Law
Learn more about generators: generators
Learn more about Faraday's Law: Faraday's Law
Click on the pictures to explore the energy conversions of the Kid Power bike.