Question

Explain the basic concept of Ch-12 electricity

Answer 1

Imagine you and some of your friends standing in a circle. Each one of you represents a single atom - the building block of all things, from apples to jet planes. Every atom has a nucleus at its center and is surrounded by a cloud of electrons. Now, imagine each of you and your friends in the circle holding a single ping-pong ball representing an electron. If you were to pass the ping-pong balls/electrons around the circle, you would be replicating the flow of electricity.

Electricity is when electrons move from one atom to another, in much the same way the ping-pong balls were passed from one person in the circle to another. The flow of electricity is called a current, which we measure in amperes (I), also known as amps. Conductors, like Franklin's metal lightning rods, easily carry electric currents, while insulators, like rubber, wood, or cloth, stop the flow of electricity.

Besides measuring electricity's current, we also measure its voltage, watts, and resistance. The volt (V) is the power available to push electricity around a circuit. Think of it like the water pressure in a pipe: the more voltage you have, the more quickly electricity flows through a circuit. Resistance, to take the analogy further, would be pipe size and is measured in ohms (r). We measure electrical power in watts, which is obtained by multiplying amps by volts.