The Story of Electricity

As Told by
Chris Thielking

Foreword
 Chapter One

Once upon a time...

there was this fella
 FREAKBOY
Benjamin
Franklin
1706-1790
American author, printer, political
theorist, politician, postmaster,
scientist, musician, inventor,
satirist, civic activist, statesman,
diplomat...

Myth #1
He flew a kite
Myth #2
His kite was struck by lightning
Myth #3
He discovered electricity
So what really happened?
Leyden Jar
Lightning
Rod

Lightning
Rod
Hooray!!

Yeah,
baby!
We’re
safe!

Yay!! Booyah!

Major Findings in Electricity

Electricity is composed of two opposite charges

which he labeled positive and negative.
The Principle of Charge Conservation: An
electric charge can neither be created nor
destroyed.
Lightning is electrical in nature.

Charles de
Coulomb
1736-1806
French Physicist

 Coulomb’s Law (1785)

Two charged objects will create a force on each

other: like charges will repel each other and
opposite charges attract.
Cumulonimbus

from the Latin:

Cumulo=heap
Nimbus=storm cloud

 What is an Electron?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc979OhitAg
So, back to the old guys.
 Hans
Christian
Ørstead
1777-1851
Danish Physicist and Chemist

 Ørstead’s Law (1820)

An electrical current creates a magnetic eld.

fi
 Michael
Faraday
1791-1867
English Chemist and Physicist

Frankenstein’s Monster
 Michael
Faraday
1791-1867
English Chemist and Physicist

Faraday’s Law of Induction (1832)

The electromotive force around a closed path

(circuit) is equal to the negative of the time rate of
change of the magnetic ux enclosed by the path.
fl
 When electric current runs through a
wire, a weak magnetic eld is generated.
fi
 By coiling the wire, the strength of
the magnetic eld is greatly increased.
fi
This magnetic eld can be further strengthened by
inserting an iron bar through the center of the coil.
fi
 This is an example of an experiment showing
electromagnetic conduction.

An electric current from the battery passes through the

wire coiled on the left.
This generates a magnetic eld which in turn generates
an electrical current in the wire on the right.

fi
 This is an example of Faraday’s experiment
proving Faraday’s Law of Induction.

An electric current from the battery passes through the

wire coiled on the left.
This generates a magnetic eld which in turn generates
an electrical current in the wire on the right.

fi
Direct Current
+ +

- -
Alternating Current
A DC system provides constant power in only
one direction until it is drained of energy, like
water owing out of a tank.
fl
 Bene ts of DC over AC power

1. Portability, portability, portability.

2. Cables have lower resistance to DC power
than to AC.
3. Power is relatively constant, though the
voltage and current can change over time
on some sources as they drain.
4. Can be produced chemically as opposed to
mechanically (such as in a battery or solar
cells).
fi

 Bene ts of AC over DC power

1. AC currents are easier to regulate for high

power demand applications.
2. It’s easier to transform into other voltages
than DC power.
3. AC currents are easier to transmit over long
distances.
4. AC motors are much more powerful and
more ef cient.
fi
fi

 Thomas
Edison
1847-1931
American businessman and
inventor

 Nikola
Tesla
1856-1943
Serbian-American Inventor and
Engineer

 END OF FIRST FULL ROTATION

120v

NO CURRENT

NO CURRENT

120v
 Black

Blue Red
Why is any of this
S@#% useful?

 Bene ts of 3 phase (Ø) AC

1. Three phase power uses less copper material

to conduct the same amount of electricity.
Thus, running three wires over long
distances is easier, cheaper, and more
ef cient than running one big fat one.
2. Single phase AC current is choppy. High
powered machinery, such as motors, will run
much more smoothly with three phase
power than with single phase.
fi
fi

But how do we get electricity to flow?

Basic Electrical Circuit
NEUTRAL

OFF

POWER
LOAD

switch

HOT
OPEN
NEUTRAL

ON

POWER
LOAD

switch

HOT
CLOSED
So how do we make this stuff?
Electric Generation
 Electric Generation
Nuclear

Hydroelectric
Geothermal

Coal

Natural Gas

Solar
Wind
Albert Einstein

Hydroelectric

 Albert
Einstein
1879 - 1955
German theoretical physicist

Einstein’s Theory of Special

Relativity:
E=mc2

~20psi

~50psi
~20psi

~50psi
~20psi

~50psi
Quantity of Water

Water Pressure

How much wate

passes through i
a given amoun
of time.
t

Quantity of Electricity =AMPS

Electric Pressur
=VOLTS
How much electricit
passes through i
a given amoun
of time. = WATTS
t

 W = VA

“West VirginiA”

WATTS = VOLTS x AMPS

P=ExI

Watts Volts Amps

1200w
? 120v 10A
Watts Volts Amps
1200w 120v 10A
?
Watts Volts Amps
1200w 120v
? 10A
Watts Volts Amps
1200w 120v 10A
End of Chapter One
Welcome to Chapter Two!
I still don’t get why I need to know all this
 NEUTRAL

AA Battery is
1.5 volts

So the
lamp must
be 1.5 volts
as well
HOT

NEUTRAL

AA Battery is
1.5 volts

If the bulb
is 3 volts, for
example, it
won’t work.
HOT

Series Circuit
 Series Circuit
In a series circuit there can be many power supplies
and/or loads, but there is only one path for the
electrical current to ow.
The voltage across the circuit is equal to the sum of
each individual power sources voltage added
together.
The voltage necessary for to power all the loads is
equal to each individual load’s voltage added
together.

fl

Series Circuit

Voltages add up

= 1.5v
= 3v
= 6v
 The load needs 3v
The circuit is 1.5v

AA Battery is
1.5 volts

A 3 volt
lamp, won’t
work.

 The load needs 3v

The circuit is 3v
The voltage
now adds up:
1.5v+1.5v=3v

A 3 volt
lamp, will
work.

 The load needs 1.5v

The circuit is 3v

Total voltage=3v

What if we
put a 1.5v
lamp back
into the
circuit?

 The load needs 3v

The circuit is 3v

Total voltage=3v

What if we
use 2@1.5v
lamps in
the circuit?

 The load needs 3v

The circuit is 3v

Total voltage=3v

What if we
use 2@1.5v
lamps in
the circuit?

 The load needs 3v

The circuit is 3v

Total voltage=3v

What if we
use 2@1.5v
lamps in
the circuit?

Parallel Circuit
 Parallel Circuit
A circuit which allows for multiple paths
over which electrical current can ow.
Voltage does not increase, but amperage
does.
The Amperage across the circuit is equal to
the sum of all of the amperages of all the
power sources wired in parallel in the
circuit.

fl

 Parallel Circuit
The load is 1.5v
Total voltage=1.5v

In this particular example, it lasts 4x as long

Parallel Circuit

mAh = milliamp hours

3200mAh = 3.2 amps/hour
 Parallel Circuit
The load is 1.5v
Total voltage=1.5v 4.8w
3.2Amps

3.2A/hour x 4 = 12.8A/hour
Circuit will work for 4 hours

 Parallel Circuit
Load total Amps = 6.4 Amps The loads are each 1.5v
Circuit works for 2 hours 4.8w
3.2Amps

3.2A/hour x 4 = 12.8A/hour

 Parallel Circuit
Load total Amps = 6.4 Amps The loads are each 1.5v
Circuit works for 1/2 hour 4.8w
3.2Amps

3.2A/hour x 1 = 3.2A/hour

 Parallel Circuit
Load total Amps = 6.4 Amps The loads are each 1.5v
Circuit works for 1/2 hour 4.8w
3.2Amps

3.2A/hour x 4 = 12.8A/hour

 Parallel Circuit
Load total Amps = 3.2 Amps The loads are each 1.5v
Circuit works for 1 hour 4.8w
3.2Amps

3.2A/hour x 4 = 12.8A/hour

 The load needs 3v

The circuit is 3v

What if bulb
is 120v?
3v is no
longer enough

 The load needs 120v

The circuit is 3v

What if bulb
is 120v?
3v is no
longer enough

 80
The load needs 120v
The circuit is 3v

What if bulb
is 120v?
3v is no
1.5v x 80longer
= 120v
enough

 120v AC Power Supply

What if bulb
is 120v?

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming

#FAIL
 Step-up Transformer = Increase Voltage
Step-down Transformer = decrease Voltage
A B C A BC
Pad Mount Transformer
Let’s take a quick detour to your house...
Pole Mounted Transformer
(aka Pole Pig)

Pr
im
ary

Sec
on
da
ry
Cab
Tel le T
e ph V
on e

 Pr
im
ar
y 10
,0
0 0v
jumper

insulator

hot lightning
arrester
Se
co
nd neutral
ar
y 12
0v
to home
o m e
to h
7200-14,400v
30,000v max
most common

But wait!
We’re not done!
But wait! We almost
forgot something...
The lightbulb!
Thomas Edison
1847-1931
American Inventor and
Businessman

Sir Joseph Swan

1828-1914
British Physicist and Chemist

Thomas Edison
1847-1931
American Inventor and
Businessman

Lewis Latimer
1848-1928
American Inventor, Author,
Engineer, Patent Consultant,
Draftsman, Navy Landsman

 The
Centennial
Light

Livermore, CA
>119 Years Old
Afterword
The End