π§ͺ Science β‘ Energy and electricity
Electricity
π In short
Electricity is an amazing energy we use every day: it lights lamps, runs the TV, computer, fridge and washing machine, and charges phones. It's in nature too, like lightning in the sky and the little spark you sometimes get when you touch a door handle.
π€© Did you know?
- Benjamin Franklin began his experiments on electricity in 1746.
- Ohm's law of electricity was published in 1827.
- Electricity travels along wires very fast.
- Electric wires are covered in plastic because it's an insulator.
π Find out more
π Where does it come from?
Electricity is made in big power stations: some burn fuel, and some use the force of water in dams, wind or sunlight. Then it travels along long wires to our homes.
π The electric circuit
For electricity to work it must flow around a closed path called a circuit. If you switch off, the circuit is broken and the lamp goes out.
π‘ Conductors and insulators
Some materials let electricity through easily, like copper, iron and water, and they're called conductors. Others don't, like plastic, rubber and dry wood, and they're called insulators.
π― Electricity is dangerous
Never put your fingers or anything else in a socket, don't touch devices with wet hands, and keep away from broken wires and electricity poles.
𧩠Test yourself
1 Which of these materials is an insulator that doesn't conduct electricity?
2 What happens when we switch off?
3 Which picture shows βElectricityβ?
π§ͺ Discover more
π· Picture sources: Wikimedia Commons
- mattbuck (category) Β· CC BY-SA 4.0
