[Michael]

Michael asked the Naked Scientists:
   
How does an electric kettle work?

What do you think?

[CliffordK]

An electric kettle will work like any other resistance based heater.

When turned on, the heating coil has electrical flow/resistance that generates heat, and thus heat.

The kettle will have a thermostat somewhere to either turn it off at the boiling point of water, or perhaps maintain the temperature near the boiling point of water with low power, and turn it off if the temperature ever exceeds the boiling point of water (dry pot).