What is Electricity? An Expert Guide to Understanding Electrical Energy

Introduction

We are always interacting with devices that use electricity. For example, when you have a smartphone, you had to charge it using electricity before using it. How about lighting your house? That is electricity as well. It begs the question, what is electricity?

Electricity is a form of energy produced when electrons move through a conductor, such as a copper wire or any other type. It can be generated from various sources, including fossil fuels, solar energy, wind, nuclear power, and hydroelectric dams.

We have become so dependent on electricity to run many things. This includes powering homes, industries, and businesses. The work of electricity in these applications include heating, lighting, communication, and many other uses.

In this guide, we will focus more on understanding the types of electricity available, applications of electricity in detail, how it is generated, and more. This is to help you have a better understanding of electricity on overall.

Types of Electricity

When it comes to the types of electricity, you are likely to come across many options based on the categorization. However, we will focus more on the main types of electricity categorized by the conduction method. They include:

1. Static Electricity

You have probably heard of the term but are unsure what it means. So, what is static electricity?

Static electricity occurs when an electrical charge builds up on an object. For example, when you keep rubbing a balloon with a piece of cloth, you end up creating static electricity. In this case, some electrons move from one object to another, leaving an imbalance in one of the objects and hence having static electricity.

In this case, it provides more of an electric shock than a continuous electricity supply, as you would get with current electricity.

2. Current Electricity

This type of electricity flows through a circuit or conductor, powering a device. Unlike static electricity, it is continuous, so it can keep the circuit active. It is measured in terms of amperes.

The two main types of current electricity are:

• Direct current (DC)

Direct current is electricity flowing in one direction, such as the electricity you get from a battery.

• Alternating current (AC)

AC flows in a cyclical alternating direction. We use this to power our homes, industries, and businesses.

Other types of electricity you may come across include thermal, hydroelectricity, solar, chemical, and nuclear electricity. However, they all fall under alternating current in terms of how they operate.

Properties of Electricity

Now that you know what is current electricity, we want to go deeper into understanding the various properties of electricity and why they are important. They include:

Voltage and Current

These are the two main attributes of electricity that must be present for a circuit to work.

Voltage is the force that causes the flow of current in a circuit and is measured in volts (V). A common analogy for voltage is water coming out of a tap. You need that force to push the water out. A higher force leads to a high-voltage circuit, while the vice versa leads to a low-voltage circuit.

On the other hand, current is the flow of electrons in a circuit. It is measured in amperes (A). still using the water from the tap analogy, we equate current to the amount of water coming out of a tap over a given period. The higher the amount, the higher the current, and vice versa.

Resistance

The best way to describe this phenomenon is simply the resistance to the flow of electrons. To achieve resistance, a resistor is used in a circuit, and it is measured in ohms (Ω). The resistor limits the amount of electricity flowing through the circuit. Most of the time, it is used to protect a device or achieve a desired output.

Electric Power

Power is part of a circuit’s electricity, along with voltage, current, and resistance. It measures the energy used at any given time in the circuit and is a product of voltage and current.

Power is important in any circuit as it determines how much energy is needed to handle a given load connected to the circuit. It is measured in watts (W).

How Electricity is Generated

The answer to the question what is electricity made of can be answered by looking at how electricity is generated. It gives us an idea of where electricity comes from and the steps taken to generate it.

1. Mechanical Energy

This is when turbines are used in the generation of electrical energy. Examples include hydroelectricity, wind power, and wave power.

In the case of hydroelectricity, the water from rivers or dams moves through the turbines to generate electricity.

Wind power, on the other hand, relies on the movement of wind turbines, which convert the kinetic energy to mechanical energy, which drives generators, thus producing electricity.

2. Thermal Energy

Thermal means heat. We rely on heat generated from various processes to generate electricity. Examples include burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas and using steam to drive turbines to power generators.

The other option is nuclear energy. Nuclear fission is used to heat water and generate steam vital for turning the turbines. Geothermal energy uses the heat from the earth’s core to create hot water or steam to power the turbines.

3. Chemical Energy

Batteries and fuel cells fall under chemical energy. For chemical energy, a chemical reaction is needed for the flow of electrons to happen. That is why the batteries and fuel cells come with different types of chemicals that produce electricity when a reaction occurs.

The type of chemicals can determine the battery capacity and overall longevity. For example, lithium-ion batteries can have more energy density compared to the lead-acid batteries.

4. Solar Energy

You must have come across solar panels at some point. They work by converting sunlight energy into electricity using the photovoltaic effect.

In the same class, we have concentrated solar power. These are mirrors that focus sunlight to heat a fluid, which drive turbines to generate electricity.

How to Measure Electricity

To measure electricity, you need to know a few basic units first. In electricity, you can measure the voltage as volts, current as amperes or amps, power as watts, resistance as ohms, and energy as watt-hours.

There are a few instruments you can use to measure all the electricity attributes mentioned above. They include:

• Multimeter for measuring voltage, resistance, current, and other parameters depending on the type.
• Voltmeter for measuring voltage
• Ammeter for measuring current
• Wattemeter for measuring electrical power
• Electricity meter for measuring the total amount of electricity a house, office, or industry consumes over a certain period. It is measured in kWh.

To measure voltage, simply connect the voltmeter across the points of interest. The same is true for measuring current.

To get power, multiply the voltage and current or measure it directly across points of interest with a wattmeter.

Uses of Electricity in Everyday Life

Electricity is very important in various aspects of our lives. Here are ways that we use electricity every day.

Heating

Many heating systems right now use electricity as compared to other sources of energy. This is because electricity is cleaner and more efficient. For example, you would come across infrared radiant heaters, which are more energy efficient and still good enough for space heating.

Industrial Applications

We cannot insist on just how much electricity is vital for any economy around the world. Many industrial processes need energy use to ensure the industry keeps running. One thing about industries is that they need consistent and uninterrupted energy to sustain production levels.

Lighting

This is probably the most popular use of electricity whether it is at home or the office. Because of the popularity of this application, we have seen many companies coming up with energy-efficient bulbs that leave you saving more on energy bills. It is expected to find more people using LED lighting solutions which last longer while consuming less energy.

Appliances

Appliances such as cookers, microwaves, humidifiers, water heating, and others all need electricity to work. You will come across many such options if you look around your house.

Right now, people buy these appliances with energy efficiency in mind. That is why most come with the Energy Star rating to help you choose better.

Transportation

The use of electricity in transportation has significantly increased over the years. Right now, more people are embracing electric vehicles, which shows a shift from fuel-combustion vehicles to eclectic vehicles.

Electric trains already exist, and we can only hope that this will improve with time as more partnerships introduce electric transportation systems.

Risks and Safety Tips for Handling Electricity

Electrical hazards are worth noting because they can sometimes lead to injuries or death. Below are the main electricity hazards you should keep in mind.

• Burns or electric shock from contacting live wires
• Injuries due to being exposed to arcing
• Fire from a faulty electrical installation
• Explosions from poorly installed electrical appliances
• Fires from static electricity in applications with flammable vapors

So, what can you do to ensure these hazards are mitigated?

Start by making sure that the electrical installations are done right. If you cannot handle the installation, it is okay to hire a qualified electrician.

Also, if the appliance shows signs of electrical issues, such as shocking you when it is touched, have a professional look at it. This is because it could be a hazard if not handled in good time.

The fuses and circuit breakers should be rated correctly based on where they are set up. Ensure the fuse box and isolators are always closed to keep people from easily getting into them and messing around.

Electrical connections and fittings should be robust so that they protect the working environment correctly. If you are working with a machine, it needs a cut-off switch so that you can disconnect power immediately in an emergency.

Maintenance

Electricity can only work well if the appliance and installation are well maintained. The maintenance is vital to prevent danger and keep the equipment working as expected.

It is advisable to have the repairs conducted by qualified personnel. You could still have a scheduled maintenance routine for different equipment and installations to ensure they are always in the proper working condition.

How to Keep Your Electricity Bill Low

Lowering how much electricity you use can help save a lot in terms of your energy bill. Here are a few things you can do to make it possible.

• Optimize lighting by switching to LED bulbs. These lights use less energy compared to incandescent bulbs and last longer as well. You can also open curtains to use natural light more to prevent the need for turning on the light.
• Manage your heating and cooling needs. This can include setting the right temperature. Also, use a programmable thermostat that can be scheduled to change the heating or cooling depending on your routine.
• Keep investing in energy-efficient appliances. There are many Energy Star certified appliances in the market. Get them to save more. Also, unplug electronics when you are not using them.
• Taking shorter showers can help as well to keep the energy use low. Other than saving on electricity, you also save on the water usage.
• Consider adding solar power to your home or business. Solar panels might be expensive to buy at first, but they will be cheaper to keep using over several years.

The Future of Electricity

Like any other industry, electricity is expected to change in some ways. One of them is the increased adoption of renewable energy. More governments are investing in solar and wind power projects to ensure they can keep up with their countries’ energy demands. Some are also investing in nuclear power to improve energy density.

Grid modernization will continue to be a thing because the demand for electricity will always grow. As a result, upgrades and modernization of the existing grids are needed.

Smart grids are also expected to increase over the next few years. This is where sensors are included in the grid to help analyze and optimize energy distribution.

Energy efficiency will remain an important campaign worldwide. There will be a need to invest in more energy-efficient processes and appliances, not just for residential but also industrial applications.

Conclusion

Electricity remains an important part of our lives because of how much we rely on it to keep our lives going. Expect to come across many uses of electricity whether it is at home, at hospitals, businesses, and more. It is crucial always to have professionals handling electricity. In case you need an appliance repaired, engage professionals to do it right. Also, consider using energy-efficiency appliances to ensure the electricity bill remains low.