What are Basic Concepts of Electricity? | Definition, Types, Formula & Examples

What are Basic Concepts of Electricity?

Below in this page we have provided some of the basic concepts of electricity. Knowing what these terms mean will help you to better understand the rest of our pages on electricity.

What are some important things to know about electricity?

Conductors and insulators – Conductors are materials that allow electricity to flow easily. Most metals are good conductors of electricity, that’s why we use metals as electrical conductors. Copper is a good conductor of electricity and is not too expensive, so today it is used a lot for home wiring.

Insulators are the opposite of conductors. An insulator is a substance that does not carry electricity. Insulators are important because they can protect us from electricity. Materials such as rubber, plastic, and paper are good insulators.

Voltage – Voltage is the name of the electrical force that causes electrons to move. It is a measurement of the potential difference between two points in a circuit. The voltage can come from the battery or the power plant.

Current – Current is a measure of the flow of electrons in a circuit. Current is measured in amperes or amps.

Power (Watts) – The power or energy used by a circuit measured in Watts. You can calculate the number of watts by multiplying the voltage by the amperage. When your parents get their electricity bill, it’s usually in kilowatt hours. This is a measurement of power over time or the amount of electricity used in that month.

Resistance – Resistance measures the ability of a material or object to conduct electricity. Low resistance is a good conductor, high resistance is a bad conductor.

Battery

The battery can act as the power source in the circuit. It stores electrical energy and then supplies voltage through a circuit, causing energy to flow through the circuit.

Batteries use reactive chemicals to generate electricity. They have an anode called cathode and a cathode called anode. When a circuit with a load is placed between the anode and cathode, the chemicals react, causing current to flow through the circuit. The chemicals in a battery only last for a limited time, so the battery has a limited amount of power and will eventually run out.

Alternate and Direct Current

There are two main types of current used in electrical systems today: alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). Batteries and most electronic devices use direct current. This is where current always flows in one direction. The power plants that produce electricity for our homes generate currents that continuously change direction (60 times per second). Therefore, the power that we get from the wall sockets is alternating current.

Static Electricity

Sometimes electrical charges can build up on the surface of objects. This is called static electricity. When you put your clothes on and they sometimes “stick” to your body or pull you inside, that’s static electricity. When your hair sometimes straightens for no reason, it could be due to static electricity.

If you rub the balloon against your clothes, you can create static electricity on the balloon that causes it to stick to the wall. Static electricity can sometimes damage electronic components. There are anti-static bags and other ways to protect components from damage.