ELECTRICITY

Thank you for visiting our web pages on electricity! The web page and links below are designed to inform you about the ways in which we create electricity, the ways in which we use electricity, and to supply information on electricity itself. Electricity plays a big part in the lives of many people, yet few know how it actually works, so lets start with the basics:

The basic unit of all matter is an atom. The atom is made of three tiny parts: protons, neutrons, and electrons. The protons and neutrons are lumped together in a small grouping called a nucleus, the electron flows freely around this nucleus. When these three parts come together, they form an atom.

Well, now we know how an atom is laid out, but what does this have to do with electicity? The key to electricity lies in the difference between the proton and the electron. Protons, one of the particles in the nucleus, has a positve(+) charge, while electrons have a negative(-) charge. Neutrons have no charge. This creates a balanced atom. The protons and the neutrons result in a positively charged nucleus. The electrons result in a negatively charged cloud around the outside of the nucleus.

Although the electrons may seem to eternally revolve around the nucleus, they often jump from one atom to another. This natural movment is the basis of static electricity. Physical forces can act on two objects, causing electrons to move from one object to another. This causes an imbalance of charges between the two objects; one becomes positively charged and the other becomes negatively charged. When the two objects meet again they create a zap of electricity as the natural balance of the atoms is returned. Humans can use this natural movement of electrons to create a flow of electricity to power our many appliances.

The natural movement of electrons is the cause of magnetism. Magnetism happens when many electrons start moving in the same direction around their atoms. This can be easily represented by a row of cars lined up. The cars are all trying to go one direction: forward. As they come in contact with another object, they try to make the cars in that substance go in the same direction. The electrons in some substances, such as iron, will give in and start flowing around the atom in the same direction. This causes the magnet and the other metal to naturally attract each other and they will pull together. The piece of iron then becomes partially magnetic itself as its electrons will try to force another metals electrons to flow in the same direction.

Well, now you know how magnetism works, and you know what the structure of an atom is, but there are still so many other areas of electricity we haven't explored yet. Electricity deals with many issues that we plan to cover. As you read, we hope you will take a look at our Author's Page, cover our information on The Generating of Electricity, The History of Electricity, Our Present-Day Use of Elecricity, The Future of Electricity, Miscellaneous Facts about Electricity, Electrical Jokes and an Editorial Response page. We also have information on Renewable Energy Sources, Non-Renewable Energy Sources, and Nuclear Energy. Don't worry, we have other links designed in our web pages so you can go to more than two places without having to come back here. Have fun!