What Are 10 Interesting Facts About Electricity?

Electricity Powers the Modern World

Electricity is an essential part of everyday life in the modern world. It powers our homes, businesses, hospitals, and schools. Simply put, modern civilization would not exist without electricity.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, global electricity consumption was over 22,300 terawatt hours in 2019. To put that in perspective, that’s enough electricity to continuously power over 2.5 billion average U.S. homes for an entire year. The countries with the highest electricity consumption are China, the United States, India, Russia, and Japan.

Electricity allows us to power machines and devices that improve productivity, entertainment, communication, transportation, and more. Just think of all the electrical devices and infrastructure we rely on – lights, air conditioning, refrigerators, computers, TVs, production lines, trains, data centers, and so much more. Without electricity, modern life as we know it would not be possible.

Electricity and Magnetism are Fundamentally Linked

Electricity and magnetism are intrinsically linked phenomena that cannot be completely separated. When electric current flows through a conductor, it creates a magnetic field perpendicular to the direction of the current flow. Conversely, a changing magnetic field will induce an electric current in a conductor placed within the field. This is known as electromagnetic induction.

The link between electricity and magnetism forms the basis for how many electrical generators work. In a generator, mechanical energy from a turbine spins coils of wire within a magnetic field. This motion causes electrons in the wire to move, creating an electric current. The electric current is then channeled out of the generator and distributed. Nearly all commercial electrical power on Earth is generated this way, where the initial mechanical energy comes from sources like falling water, steam, wind, or internal combustion engines.

The intrinsic relationship between electricity and magnetism is formalized in Maxwell’s equations, which mathematically describe how electric and magnetic fields are generated and altered by each other and by charges. These fundamental laws of electromagnetism describe everything from motors and transformers to light itself, which is an electromagnetic wave. The entire modern world is built on applied uses of the profound link between electricity and magnetism.

Electricity Can Be Created Through Various Means

Electricity can be generated through various means, both renewable and non-renewable. Here are some of the main ways that electricity is created:

Coal: Burning coal to heat water creates steam that spins turbines connected to generators. Coal accounts for about 30% of electricity generation globally.

Natural Gas: Like coal plants, natural gas plants burn fuel to heat water, produce steam, and spin turbines. Natural gas provides about 23% of electricity worldwide.

Nuclear: Nuclear power plants use fission reactions to create heat and spin turbines. Nuclear provides about 10% of the world’s electricity.

Hydropower: Flowing water spins turbines connected to generators to produce electricity. Hydropower accounts for 16% of global electricity.

Wind: Wind turns blades connected to generators to create electricity. Wind provides around 5% of global electricity and is the fastest growing renewable source.

Solar: Solar photovoltaic panels convert sunlight into electricity. Solar provides about 2% of global electricity but is seeing rapid growth.

Other renewable sources like geothermal and biomass play smaller roles. As technology improves, renewables’ contribution is expected to grow to meet energy demands sustainably.

Electrical Grids and Circuits Distribute Electricity

Electrical grids and circuits distribute electricity from power plants and generation facilities to homes, businesses, and other end users. An electrical grid is a network of transmission lines, substations, transformers and more that delivers electricity. Power plants generate electricity which is stepped up to high voltages by transformers to efficiently transmit it over long distances on transmission lines. The transmission lines carry the power to substations near demand centers, which use transformers to reduce voltage levels for distribution on local lines and circuits.

The design of electrical grids and circuits depends on whether the electricity is alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). AC electricity allows voltage to be increased or decreased easily with transformers. This makes it the preferred form of electricity for transmitting power over distances. Most major grids transmit AC electricity from power plants before converting it to DC for use in electronic devices. DC circuits use direct current electricity and have simpler designs than AC circuits. While less common overall, DC power has some advantages for applications like electronics.

AC electricity flows in both directions in a circuit and changes direction at a frequency of 50-60Hz. The alternating nature of AC allows voltage levels to be transformed for long distance transmission using transformers. DC electricity flows in one direction only and maintains a constant voltage. While AC dominates electrical grids, DC may be more suitable for distributing power to individual devices and homes due to advances in DC technologies.

Thomas Edison Pioneered Early Electrical Technology

One of the most iconic figures in electricity is Thomas Edison. Born in 1847, Edison obtained over 1,000 patents in his lifetime, with many related to electrical technology. His Menlo Park laboratory became known as the “invention factory,” leading to numerous innovations that helped popularize electricity.

Arguably Edison’s most famous invention was the incandescent lightbulb. After many experiments with different filament materials, Edison settled on a carbonized bamboo filament that could last over 1,200 hours. This enabled electric lighting to become practical for everyday use. Edison also developed an entire electrical system to support his lightbulb, including generators, wiring, and the world’s first electrical power distribution system.

In 1882, Edison opened the first commercial electrical power plant in the United States, serving 59 customers in lower Manhattan. This small 6-station system marked the beginning of electrical utilities as we know them today. Edison also pioneered the concept of direct current (DC) electrical distribution, advocating for DC over alternating current (AC) advocated by Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse. Though AC eventually won out, Edison’s developments were crucial in ushering in the electrical age.

Electricity Travels Near the Speed of Light

Electricity moves incredibly fast through wires, at a speed that approaches the speed of light. The speed of light in a vacuum is roughly 300,000,000 meters per second. Electricity travels through copper wire at around 90-99% the speed of light, or about 270,000,000 meters per second.

This is why when you turn on a light switch, the light turns on instantly. The electricity is moving so fast through the wires that the effect is almost instantaneous. The speed does vary slightly depending on the type of wire material, with copper allowing electricity to travel the fastest.

This extremely high speed of electricity is what enables modern electrical devices and appliances to work in real-time. From lights and motors to computers and appliances, they can switch on and off immediately when electricity flows because it moves so rapidly through the wires.

Electricity Can Be Very Dangerous

Electricity can be extremely hazardous if proper safety precautions are not taken. One major risk is electrocution, which can occur when a person comes into contact with an electrical current. This electric shock disrupts the normal electrical signals in the body and can cause injuries or even death.

There are several ways a person can be electrocuted. Direct contact with exposed wiring, outlets or other energized equipment can deliver an electric shock. Even everyday appliances like blow dryers, radios and lamps can electrocute someone if they malfunction and expose wires. Another common cause of electrocution is mixing electricity with water, such as by using electrical devices near a sink or shower. Water is highly conductive and can carry electric current directly to the body.

To avoid electrocution hazards, it is important to exercise caution around electricity at all times. Never touch damaged cords or outlets, especially if wires are exposed. Avoid handling electrical devices with wet hands or while standing in water. Have a professional electrician make repairs whenever wiring looks faulty or malfunctions occur. Keep appliances away from water sources, install ground fault circuit interrupters, and use appliances with short cords. Being aware and proactive about electrical safety in the home and workplace can help prevent tragic and preventable electrocutions.

Static Electricity is a Buildup of Electric Charge

Static electricity refers to an imbalance of electric charges within or on the surface of a material. It arises when electrons are transferred from one material to another, creating an excess of electrons on one material and a deficiency of electrons on the other. This imbalance of charges produces an electric field that can lead to sparks or shocks when the materials make contact or are separated.

A common example of static electricity buildup occurs when certain materials like balloons or wool are rubbed against other materials like hair or fur. The rubbing causes electrons to transfer from one material to the other. For instance, when a balloon is rubbed against hair, electrons from the hair transfer to the balloon, leaving the hair positively charged and the balloon negatively charged. The balloon can then cling to walls and attract hair, while the charged hair may stand up straight.

Static shocks are the result of the electric discharge that occurs when two oppositely charged objects come into contact, such as touching a doorknob after walking across carpet. When contact is made, the excess electrons on one material rush to neutralize the deficiency of electrons on the other material, resulting in the sudden, quick flow of electricity that we feel as a shock.

Humidity affects static buildup. Low humidity allows static charges to remain separated, while high humidity dissipates the charge. Walking across carpets in low humidity allows substantial charge separation between your body and the carpet, which you notice when you reach for a doorknob and feel the discharge.

Electric Eels Can Generate Electricity

Electric eels (Electrophorus electricus) are fascinating creatures that can generate electricity. They use specialized cells called electrocytes to produce electric charges strong enough to stun prey or ward off predators. When an electric eel is threatened or attacking prey, its brain sends signals that activate the electrocytes. This results in electricity that can be as high as 860 volts!

The electrocytes work in a similar way to batteries. Composed of positive and negative ion channels, they pump ions to build up a charge difference. When the eel decides to emit electricity, the channels open and the ions flood out, creating a current. An eel’s electrical discharge is strong enough to knock a person unconscious!

Electric eels demonstrate an incredible example of bioelectricity, which refers to electrical signals generated by living cells. Neural signals, muscles contractions, and senses like vision involve bioelectrical processes. The ability of electric eels to harness bioelectricity for hunting and defense shows the immense power of bioelectricity in nature. Scientists continue studying electric eels to better understand bioelectric mechanisms across life on Earth.

Early Electrical Experiments Used the ‘Leyden Jar’

In the 1740s, Dutch scientist Pieter van Musschenbroek and his assistant Andreas Cuneus made an important discovery while experimenting with static electricity. They found that electricity could be stored in a glass jar lined with metal foil on the inside and outside. This device came to be known as the ‘Leyden jar’.

The Leyden jar was named after the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, where van Musschenbroek and Cuneus conducted their experiments. It became the first means of storing static electricity. By charging the jar, researchers could accumulate electricity and produce more intense electrical discharges for their experiments.

To charge the Leyden jar, an electrical conductor was connected to the inner and outer foils. When the outside of the jar was connected to a generator or friction machine, static electricity would build up in the jar, creating an electrical potential difference between the two sides. The jar could then be discharged by connecting a conductor between the inner and outer foils.

In the 1740s and 1750s, many leading scientists of the time used the Leyden jar in pioneering investigations into the nature of electricity. Benjamin Franklin carried out extensive electrical research with Leyden jars, including his famous kite experiment that demonstrated lightning was electricity.

The Leyden jar allowed more controlled study of electrical discharges and their effects. It was a crucial development that advanced our early understanding of electricity as a physical force that could be harnessed.