What is Electricity?

Introduction

Electricity is a secondary source of energy.

We have to generate electricity from primary sources of energy such as moving water, nuclear power, solar panels, coal, or natural gas.

Static Electricity

When you rub against a charged platform and touch metal you may feel a sharp pain because of static electricity.

How Static Electricity Is Made

Also when you use a comb it makes static electricity.

This happens because the two objects (your hair and your comb) are NOT equally charged, so the electrons jump from one object to the other causing static electricity.

If you rub a balloon on your head 20 to 30 times the balloon will stick to the wall due to static electricity.

And have you ever walked across an old rug and felt a tingle? That tingle is caused by static electricity.

Electricity in Your Body

The human body has a non-stop flow of electricity throughout the nerve cells. But without that continuous flow of electricity throughout your body, you would not be able to move.

Also when your hand turns a page, your brain commands your hand to do that by sending electrical signals from your brain to your hand through your nerves.

How To Light Up A Light Bulb

Using the supply of electricity that comes from an energy source such as a battery, you can use electrical energy to light up a light bulb.

The battery has to be connected to the wire but simply only connecting that one wire will not work. Another wire has to be connected to the battery to make a closed circuit for the electrical energy to travel through.

The reason you use a wire is because electrical energy can travel through conductors. Metal is a good conductor, so electric wires are made of metal such as copper.