current electricity is a flow of electric charge in a particular direction. For example:
static vs. current
When the balloon was statically charged it took electrons. Since water is electrically charged they replelled each other, making the water curve.
Cities use electricity to run lights from generators. like in this picture of Tokyo, Japan
series & parallel
A series circuit has only one path for electrons to follow. Whereas in a parallel circuit there are multiple branches.
how is electricity produced anyway?
Electricity can be produced many different ways. One way it can be produced is through turbines. there are many different kinds of turbines because of what they use. these would be wind, water and steam.
wind turbines
wind turbines (like this one here to the right >>) are only useful in windy areas.
water turbines (aka hydroelectric dams)
Hydroelectric dams like this one
only work in lakes or rivers. Pretty much any place that has a large body of water is where you would see one of these. it works by water going in the intake then flowing through the penstock to the actual turbine which creates power from the water's energy.
steam turbines
The primary type of turbine used for central power generation is the black pressure, like this one. First to make steam you have to put in a type of fuel into the boiler. After that water is dropped onto it producing steam that turns the turbine creating energy.
amps, volts, and watts
amps (amperage)- a measure of the amount of electricity used
volts (voltage)- a measure of the pressure, or force of electricity
watts (wattage)- a measure of the work that electricity does per second. amps x volts = watts
*how electricity is measured
volts (voltage)- a measure of the pressure, or force of electricity
watts (wattage)- a measure of the work that electricity does per second. amps x volts = watts
*how electricity is measured
electricity and magnetism
electricity and magnetism are part of the same force. when an electric current is created a magnetic current is also created and vice versa. they both have things that repel and opposites that attract. they both also have opposite states. electricity an be negative and positive while magnets are north and south (polls).
what are resistors and how do they relate to heating elements?
A resistor is a device that reduces current flow and at the same time acts to lower voltage levels within a circuit. It's like a volume button to the TV. Electrical heating is any process where electrical energy is converted to heat. The resistors are the ones that do this because when a current flows through them it gets hot.
ground wires
A ground wire is a safety feature. It's there in case there is short circuit. If there were the electricity would safely return to the ground. it's attached to outlets and other electrical devices that are also securely connected to the ground at the breaker box. The earth acts as a reservoir of charge and it can also neutralize an electric current.