How often do you watch television, turn on the lights, and use the computer?
These objects and several other objects that are around us work by using electricity. Can you imagine what your life would be like without electricity? Terrible isn't it? The world was silent, and the night was going to be darker than usual. This world is like a world of electricity.
You live in a world of electricity, a world with all the attributes of objects that require electricity. Without electricity, many activities will stop. The technicians, programmers, and writers could not continue their work.
Actually, electricity is a form of energy that can be converted into other forms of energy such as heat, light, and sound. Electrical energy can also be converted into kinetic energy to drive a machine.
Conductors Vs Insulators
One of the characteristics of electricity is that it can move, such as when you are electrocuted when you touch a chipped wire connected to an internal voltage source. Actually, what you feel is the movement of electrons or also known as electric current.
Electricity can flow or be conducted through certain materials. Materials that can conduct electricity easily are called conductors. Materials that do not conduct electricity are called insulators.
An example of a conductor is copper wire. That is why factories use copper wire as a material for making electrical cables.
Examples of insulators are items made of plastic. No wonder the cable manufacturer coats the copper wire with plastic so you don't get electrocuted when you hold the chipped wire connected to a voltage source.
What is Electricity?
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You already know what electrons and atoms are. Every object in nature is composed of atoms that have several constituent electrons. Each electron that makes up an atom has a positive or negative charge.
The electrons in the atom carry an electric charge. When electrons move together in one direction, it means that they are carrying electricity (electric current).
Conducting materials, such as metals, have electrons that are free and not tightly bound by atoms. That was why it was easy for him to conduct electricity. In contrast to insulating objects, the constituent electrons are tightly bound by atoms, making it difficult to conduct electricity.
Resistance
It turns out that, when moving, the electron sometimes encounters resistance. Each conductor has a different resistance value.
How well electricity can be conducted by a conductor is measured by resistance. The less resistance a wire has, the better it will conduct electricity.
Electrical Circuits
Electric current will only flow through connected (connected) wires. This is another name for the circuit. Electric current will stop flowing if there is a fault in the circuit.
Electric current can be connected and stopped by using a switch. If you turn on something (an electrical object), you are connected to a circuit. If you turn off the power, you are breaking the circuit.
How do light bulbs light up?
A light bulb has a tiny wire called a filament. When electricity flows through the filament, a bright light is created. However, only about 2% of the electrical energy is converted into light, the rest is turned into heat.