Power lines often carry high voltages. For example, a single power line may carry 100,000 volts. An outlet in a home only carries 120–240 volts. What accounts for this difference in voltage?

Transformers change voltage levels in the power grid. Electricity is transmitted at high voltage, then local transformers near homes reduce it to the lower voltage used by household outlets, typically 120–240 volts. Voltage is not simply lost as electricity travels or leaks into the environment.

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