A gas turbine works by compressing air, mixing it with fuel and igniting it to produce hot exhaust gases that drive the turbine and generate power. It has an upstream compressor coupled to a downstream turbine with a combustion chamber in between. Gas turbines operate on the Brayton cycle and may be open or closed systems. They are used in power plants, vehicles, and other applications due to their high power-to-weight ratio and ability to operate on different fuels.