Final answer:
The conversion of wind energy to electrical energy through a windmill is known as Energy transformation, where kinetic energy is transformed to mechanical energy, and then into electrical energy by an electric generator.
Step-by-step explanation:
The change from wind energy to electrical energy through the use of a windmill is known as Energy transformation. This process occurs when kinetic energy, which is present in the moving air, is captured by the windmill's blades, causing them to spin. The rotational motion of the blades turns a shaft, which then operates an electric generator. The generator is where the actual energy transformation occurs; it converts the mechanical energy of the spinning shaft into electrical energy, which can then be used to power electrical devices.
Analogous to this process, hydroelectric power converts gravitational potential energy of water into kinetic energy, and subsequently into mechanical work to run electric generators. Similarly, an electric motor transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy, not the other way around as an electric generator does.