Electricity

What is Electricity?
• Electricity is the flow of electrical power or charge.
• Basically, it is a phenomenon (occurrence) caused
by the presence (stationary charges) or movement
of charges (electrons or ions) which exert an
electrical force.
• Charge is a measure of extra positive or negative
particles that an object has.
• An electrical current is the movement of a charge
through materials.
• It is a secondary energy source which means that
we get it from the conversion of other sources of
energy, such as coal, natural gas, oil, nuclear
power, and other natural sources, which are called
primary sources.
• The energy sources we use to make electricity can
be renewable or non-renewable, but electricity
itself is neither renewable nor non-renewable.
 Two Types of Electricity
• There are two types of electricity which include:
• Static Electricity: Rubbing gave one object an
overall positive charge and it gave the other an
overall negative charge. The charge that stays on an
object is referred to as ‘static electricity.’ The result Current Electricity
of a build-up of static electricity is that objects may
be attracted to each other or may even cause a spark
to jump from one to the other. For example, rub a
balloon on a wool and hold it up to the wall. Static
means ‘not moving’. Even though the charges
moved to get there, they stay on the charged object.
• Current Electricity: Current means ‘the rate of flow
of electrons.’ It is produced by moving electrons,
and unlike static electricity it must flow through a
conductor, usually a copper or aluminum wire. The
electrical current can kill people if they encounter it,
but the real measure of the shock’s intensity lies in
the amount of current (the more the current the
larger the damage it will cause to you body).
Static Electricity
 Two Types of Electricity
• Current with electricity is just like
current when you think of a river.
The river flows from one spot to
another, and the speed it moves is
the speed of the current. Current Electricity

•  One of the results of current is

the heating of the conductor.
When an electric stove heats up, it
is because of the flow of current.
• We get an electrical shock from
an electrical socket because of the
quick movement of these
electrons. Static Electricity
 The history of electricity and
how it was discovered?

• Thales of Miletus was a Greek philosopher,

originating from Miletus and an Asian
Minor. Thales originally discovered static
electricity by rubbing animal fur on amber
Thales of Miletus Leyden Jar
around 500 BC. The Greeks noted that
amber could attract light objects such as hair.
• In the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin,
reintroduced electricity to the public through
his famous kite experiment, where he tied a
key to the end of the kite’s string which was
connected to a Leyden jar. When the
lighting struck the kite, the electric current
travelled down the string, through the key
and into the Leyden jar. Basically, Leyden
jar is an old-fashioned battery.
Benjamin Franklin’s Experiment
 The history of electricity and
how it was discovered?

• Thomas Edison had a large contribution in the

invention of electricity. Edison also invented
other useful things such as the light bulb, which
works when the electric current passes through
it. Nikola Tesla
• Nikola Tesla was born on July 10th, 1856. He
teamed up with George Westinghouse in 1888
to work on their invention of alternating current
electricity. He rivaled Thomas Edison with his
direct current power thus creating the ‘War of
currents’. Nikola Tesla invented the alternating
current (AC), and Thomas Edison invented the
direct current (DC). Though direct power had
problems of its own. It could kill small children
and lit many houses on fire. They also needed to
build substations every two miles.
Thomas Edison
 The history of electricity and
how it was discovered?

•If it were not for Nikola, we would still be doing

this today. Tesla’s AC power could travel
hundreds of miles without having to build a
substation.
•Hence, Nikola Tesla won the ‘War of Currents’ Nikola Tesla’s plant
(Battle of Currents), and Thomas Edison moved
onto creating more inventions.
•Nikola built his first power plant at Niagara
Falls, and it was a huge success.
•George Westinghouse (an American engineer and
entrepreneur) noticed how much of a triumph
Nikola Tesla’s invention was becoming, and he
teamed up with him in order to present this
invention in the World Fair (a large international
exhibition designed to showcase achievements of
nations) in 1983.
 The history of electricity and
how it was discovered?

• Thanks to George Westinghouse the entire

world’s fair was powered by AC power and
they even built a small power plant just for
the World Fair.
• Because of Nikola Tesla’s alternating George Westinghouse
electricity, we now have the ability to
spread power all over the world. We have
TVs, computers, iPads, cell phones, and
better medical equipment to treat those who
are ill.
• To conclude it all, there was not one certain
scientist behind the invention and discovery
of electricity. There are many more scientist
who played an important role in the
evolution of electricity.
George and Tesla’s presentation at the World Fair
 Why is it important to
learn about electricity?

• It is important to learn about electricity

because:
• We cannot operate in our daily lives, if
we do not have knowledge about how
electricity works. Our homes, offices
and schools, all our powered by
electricity and it is essential for us to
understand how it is produced, as well
as the impacts it has on the environment
and how to resolve these issues.
• Many interesting inventions are also
powered by electricity, therefore if you
want to invent something related to
machines, you might need to know
 What aspects of electricity
cause pollution?

• Of the total energy consumed in the United States, about

40% is used to generate electricity, making electricity use,
an important part of each person’s environmental footprint.
• Mostly all aspects of the electricity system can affect the
environment, and the size of these influences will depend
on how and where the electricity is generated and delivered.
In general, the environmental impacts can include:
• Emission (release) of greenhouse gases and different air
pollutants, particularly once a fuel (especially coal) is
burned.
• Use of water resources to provide steam, offer cooling, and
serve alternative functions.
• Discharge of pollution into water bodies.
• Generation of solid waste, which can embody unsafe waste.
• Land use for fuel production, power generation, and other
human purposes.
• Effects on plants, animals and ecosystem that result from
the air, water, waste and land impacts above.
 How can we reduce the
pollution caused by electricity?

• By building power plants, we can reduce

air pollution emissions in various ways.
• This will help us sustain the non-
renewable resources for the future, as we
will have natural ways of obtaining energy
such as solar panels and wind turbines, and
we will not run out of these, as they are
powered by nature (renewable resources).
• Biomass is one of the most effective ways
to reduce the pollution caused by
electricity as it takes the waste and
converts it into electricity.
 Fun Facts!

• Nikola Tesla built an invention, called ‘Tesla

coil’ which converts low-voltage alternating
current electricity to very high voltage and
increases the frequency. It’s first model was Tesla Coil
displayed in 1891.
• Lightening is a form of electricity.
• Static electricity cannot harm anyone.
• Photocopiers make images using static
electricity! A large, charged drum inside the
photocopier pulls powdered ink to it. The ink
goes to wherever dark spots on the original are
reflected on the drum. The powder pattern is put
on a piece of paper. Then the paper is heated
and the ink melts, making a permanent copy.
• Two positive charges repel each other, as do two
negative charges. On the other hand, opposite
charges attract each other.
 References

 Britannica - Electricity
 CNN - The Current War
 Arch bridge Institute - George Westinghouse
 Live Science - Nikola vs Thomas
 Prezi - Thales of Miletus
 Britannica - Thales of Miletus
 University Today - Who discovered electricity?
 YouTube - History of Electricity
 KidsHealth - Why do I get an electric shock?
 AzCentral - Tired of getting zapped?
 The Electricity Forum - Types of Electricity
 A secondary source - What is electricity?
 Electricity Unit
 Let's Explore Electricity Basics! - Apogee Interactive
 United States Environmental Protection Agency - The impacts of electricity on the environment
 Princeton University - Opportunities and Challenges
 US Energy Information Administration - Electricity and the environment
 NASA - How is lighting made?
 Harcourt Science – California Edition (Book)
 The Usborne – Illustrated Dictionary of Science