We use electricity every day for (nearly) everything. From charging our cell phone to enjoy a hot bath to watching our favorite sitcoms on TV -electricity is practically everywhere. However, most of us probably couldn’t clearly answer the question, “How does electricity work?”
In this article, we’ll give you a clear understanding of what electricity is along with some interesting facts, including how many watts you daily appliances need.
How Does Electricity Work?
The concept of electricity itself is based on electron movement. When you force electrical charge is a fundamental property of matter being borne by elementary particles.
Britannica describe electricity as a phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electric charges. Every electrical charge is a fundamental property of matter being borne by elementary particles.
For electricity, this elementary particle is an electron that has a negative charge, which is carried to the next electron thought the convention method. So, when we talk about how electricity works, it’s essentially the result of the accumulation or motion of a specific number of electrons. Moreover, travels in a closed circuit for the electrons to move thought it.
Let’s explain this with the help of an example.
Imagine you flip a switch to turn on a light. What do you do? You basically close a circuit. By applying the same logic, when you flip a switch off, you open a circuit.
Now, when you close a circuit, the flow of electrical from the electric wires power though them thought the light, and vice versa. Likewise, the same logic applies when you charge your phone, switch on you television, or operate any other appliance.
Moreover, electricity takes different forms like water, coal, wind, solar, hydroelectricity, and nuclear.
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How Is Electricity Made and What is it Made of?
Not many people are aware that electricity is actually a secondary energy source -something that you drive from the conversion of other primary sources of energy, such as natural gas, coal, nuclear power, oil, and so on. Interestingly, these primary source of energy can be either renewable or nonrenewable, but electricity itself is neither.
Electricity is made up of building blocks called atoms, which is why you need to understand how atoms, and most importantly, how electronics behave.
Every atom has a nucleus that’s made up of protons and neutrons, while electrons are changed particles that revolve around the nucleus in shells. As protons have a positive change and electrons have a negative charge, they attract each other. This keeps the atom balanced. So, the positive charge on the proton is equal to the negative charge of electrons.
Neutrons have no electrons charge, and as such, they don’t have an active role to play when it comes to balancing an atom.
Understanding the Relationship Between Protons and Electrons
Electrons have a strong attraction to protons. But the electrons in the outermost shell don’t have as strong an attraction to protons when compared to the electrons in the immediate shells.
The weakly -attracted electrons can be pushed out of the orbit, which in turn, causes them to shift from one atom to another. It’s these shifting electrons that are electricity.
Electricity is made of electrons, But from a technical point of view, it’s the flow of electric charge as a form of electric that creates an electrical current flow.
To recap, the movement of a number of electron creates magnetic field, which kickstarts the formation of electric charges.
Conductive materials that are used to carry the electric charge, such as a copper wire, have a negative charge flow of electrons. This helps conduct electricity by giving the flow of electrons a targeted direction, allowing them to move uniformly while simultaneous creating a positive charge know as an electric current.
To electricity, you need to properly harness this flow of electric current and then direct it along with a conduction material.
How Is Electricity Measured? In What Units?
Measuring electricity and electrical units is an interconnected affair. You’ll understand what this means shortly.
The first unit of electric current measurement under the international system of units is ampere or amp(A). It denotes the numbers of electrons (aka the electric current) that flowers thought an electrical circuit at a given point in time.
Next is volt (V), which is the measurement of the force that pushes the election though an electric circuit. This force is also know as the electrical perennial different. When we determine the voltage, we’re calculating the potential for the energy to move. Basically, lower voltage equals lower force, and high voltage means higher voltage means higher force.
When measuring electricity, the last unit you should know is the coulomb, which is the amount of charge flowing whenever the current is one ampere.
In other words, 1 ampere=1 coulomb/ second
Electricity Use by Device How Much Electricity Does a TV Use?
Typically, most TVs use between 120 to 170 watts, depending on the size of the device and the technology used.
For instance, a 42 -inch LCD uses 120 watts, while a 50-inch LCD uses 150 watts. But when you charge the technology, a 42-inch plasma TV would need 220 watts to run, while a 50-inch plasma, 300 watts.
How Much Electricity Does a Computer Use?
The electricity consumption range of a desktop computer is anywhere between about 200 watts, and again depending on the type of device you use, electricity consumption will differ.
How Much Electricity Does a Light Bulb Use?
To find out the amount of electricity used by a light bulb, you’ll have to look at the watts on its packaging. You can have bulbs that are 100 watts as well as bulbs that are 60 watts. Moreover, while an LED light bulb needs 18 watts, fluorescent tubes need about 36 watts.
How Much Electricity Does a Dryer Use?
The average clothes dryer uses 5,000 watts while the avenge waster uses anywhere from 500 watts ( non-electric water heating) to 1,800 watts( with electric water heating).
Electricity Literally Makes Our Future Bright
Today, most of the devices we use and activates we engage in require electricity. From cooling off with a fan to talking on a phone driving (hello, Tesla owners!), it’s become a significant part of out daily life lives.
Adopting renewable power sources as opposed to fossil fuel sources can ensure a bright future for our Earth and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Contact your energy supplier to switch to electricity from renewable energy sources like solar panels, biomass, and turbines.