ELECTRICITY EXPLAINED
Learn some shocking facts behind the everyday energy we take for granted
Many people think of electricity as something you buy from the power companies, but as well as coming out of the wall socket, electricity is one of the many ingredients that make up the universe.
Everything in the universe is made of minuscule atoms, and these atoms consist of a nucleus orbited by one or more electrons. These electrons carry a negative charge, while the nucleus is positively charged.
We’re all familiar with the effects of static electricity. We are not often aware of electricity around us as the positive and negative charges usually balance. When certain objects touch, electrons can jump between them. For instance, when you rub a balloon on your hair, electrons will jump across to the balloon, giving the balloon stationary negative charge, or static electricity. Static electricity relies on electrons not being able to move around easily. Materials like wood, glass, ceramics and cotton all have electrons that like to stick with their atoms, and because the electrons don’t move the materials can’t conduct electricity very well.