What is Electricity: Definition and 999 Discussions

Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwell's equations. Various common phenomena are related to electricity, including lightning, static electricity, electric heating, electric discharges and many others.
The presence of an electric charge, which can be either positive or negative, produces an electric field. The movement of electric charges is an electric current and produces a magnetic field.
When a charge is placed in a location with a non-zero electric field, a force will act on it. The magnitude of this force is given by Coulomb's law. If the charge moves, the electric field would be doing work on the electric charge. Thus we can speak of electric potential at a certain point in space, which is equal to the work done by an external agent in carrying a unit of positive charge from an arbitrarily chosen reference point to that point without any acceleration and is typically measured in volts.
Electricity is at the heart of many modern technologies, being used for:

Electric power where electric current is used to energise equipment;
Electronics which deals with electrical circuits that involve active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies.Electrical phenomena have been studied since antiquity, though progress in theoretical understanding remained slow until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The theory of electromagnetism was developed in the 19th century, and by the end of that century electricity was being put to industrial and residential use by electrical engineers. The rapid expansion in electrical technology at this time transformed industry and society, becoming a driving force for the Second Industrial Revolution. Electricity's extraordinary versatility means it can be put to an almost limitless set of applications which include transport, heating, lighting, communications, and computation. Electrical power is now the backbone of modern industrial society.

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  1. A

    Conversion Of Frictional Work To Electricity

    Hello, I am required to write a feasibility study for my Technical English course about a project that could be done in my field of study, I'm an Electrical and Computer Engineering major and I thought of the idea of converting the heat produced by friction of chalk on classroom boards, feet...
  2. gauss44

    Do super concentrated solutions NOT conduct electricity well?

    I know that pure water doesn't conduct electricity well, and that adding an electrolyte generally increases conductivity. However, does there come a point where increasing the concentration of electrolytes actually DECREASES conductivity?
  3. R

    Question about using the sea or earth as a electricity producer

    Hi! I have been told that despite the different temperature between the surface and the Earth is different we can't use it to produce electricity by using the laws of thermodynamics .. shy isn't possible ?
  4. A

    Electric Field and Work on a Moving Charge

    Homework Statement Given an electric field ε V/m that is constant in the x-direction and a charge +q C located at the origin and free to move in the x-direction. (a) What is the magnitude and direction of the force F acting on q? (b) If q moves under the influence of F a distance d m, how...
  5. M

    Electricity and magnetism books

    Can someone recommend a physics book on electricity and magnetism? The book that I just finished reading for my class was https://www.amazon.com/dp/0971313458/?tag=pfamazon01-20 The book above hardley mentioned vectors and I am looking for a book that explains all the concepts in terms of...
  6. T

    Static Electricity: Positive & Negative Charges

    Homework Statement Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution i chose positive and negative but i am not sure.
  7. T

    Generating electricity with wind

    I am building a scale model wind farm with 10 Brushless DC motors. Each motor is rated 12v and 1.3 amps. Provided that I can generate 12 V on each motor, what is a realistic amount of power that I can generate? Thank you.
  8. M

    Electricity (Electric potential)

    Hi,can you please help to understand why is the potential difference the same across the gap between the plates of both capacitors connected in parallel?
  9. M

    I want to generate my own electricity via the included method

    0:30 "So if I have a magnetic field that's increasing increasing increasing" I'm probably taking this too literal, but the magnetic field coming from the neo magnet isn't increasing or decreasing. The gentleman is only moving the magnetic field (the magnet) in closer proximity to the coil, so...
  10. S

    Electricity consumption of a fan in a cooling tower

    Hi everybody! I'm currently working on a project where a wet cooling tower is involved. The wet cooling tower is an induced draft system. I know the volume of air handled and also the properties of the air entering and leaving the system. I want to determine the electricity consumption of...
  11. A

    Can I Heat Water with 5 Volts and 2-3 Grounds?

    Just have a question: how can I make a steady temperature to heat water or liquid where I have 5 volts with 2 or 3 grounds as a source only? Please explain the things that can be required to increase things such as resistance and current and their source such diodes or batteries with the...
  12. J

    How does a dynamo produce electricity?

    Hello guys, I have a few questions to ask and I really need an answer for them all. Firstly, I know that the Dynamo or the Generator produces electricity to the vehicle engines and houses, etc... But I seriously want to know how Dynamos produce electricity exactly. I didn't understood exactly...
  13. K

    Several questions about DC electricity

    Hello, I have few questions about batteries and AC->DC adapters 1- in AC-DC converter: if I have a device required 12v and 1amp .. will it hurt the circuit if I connect 12v but more amps ? I heard it draw only required currents .. is that true ? 2- in batteries: why when we buy...
  14. R

    Alternative electricity generation for aircraft

    Hello, so today i was thinking about alternative ways to provide electricity to a motor in a fixed wing aircraft. Ideas: 1. Use thermoelectrics. They would generate the most voltage around the engine, so maybe they would only be placed here, or all over the aircraft. Advantage: unlike solar...
  15. K

    Schools Why do the collegeboard offer Electricity and Magnetism?

    If a prerequisite for E&M is Multivariable calculus, why is it offered in high school (without that pre-req)? Is the High School E&M equivalent to physics 2 in college, and if that is so, Physics 2 is still offered before Multivariate calculus. Can someone clear this up for me. Am I getting two...
  16. M

    How shall I run electricity 2000 feet away from light pole?

    I'm trying to run electricity from one side of the my land (country side) to the other. Electricity is 2000 feet away from light pole. first 500 feet I'm running number 8 wire. for the other 1500 I'm running number 12 wire. I'm getting a power drop because of distance. Local electricians told me...
  17. A

    Understanding Electricity and Circuits

    Hi, Can anyone take a look at this article and tell me your opinion? I want to know if this is true or not before learning it? http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/curric/stage6/phys/stw2002/sefton.pdf
  18. S

    Generate Electricity: 10,000 lb Weight on 30° Track

    What possible rate of electricity would be generated if a 10,000 lb weight goes down a 30 degree inclined track, attached by a cable that spins the rotor in a generator mounted at the top of the track? Please assume that friction on the track is minimal and that there is a large supply of these...
  19. I

    Potential electricity production from water passed through Magma.

    Dear Physicists I am well aware that this question does not have all the necessary information on order to get an exact answer, but what I am hoping to find is some educated guesses backed by some math. Lets imagine a 50 MT Pot filled with magma that is 700 C hot. Let’s imagine a thin pipe...
  20. P

    Best Way to Convert LPG or Kerosene to Electricity?

    I'm just wondering if there are more efficient ways of generating electricity from fuel sources such as lpg and kerosene that are more efficient than thermophotovoltaics, thermoelectrics, and heat engines like stirling & steam. Would it be a fuel cell such as this? Also, what type of fuel...
  21. B

    How Hard Is Physics II: Electricity, And Magnetism?

    So I am taking Physics II this fall semester. I am an engineering major, and I am currently split between mechanical, and civil. My questions is how hard will the class be for me? I have already done the three semesters of calculus including a vector calculus extension. I got an A in calc III...
  22. D

    Light as a source of electricity

    Hello Dear Fellows! We all know that light is an electromagnetic wave and also we know that an antenna receives EM waves and convert it into electrical energy. My question is that is it possible for any specially design antenna to receive Light as a source of EM waves...
  23. B

    Work equation for electrostatics and electricity

    I have a question about the equation for work as it pertains to electrostatics and electricity. One book I read says equation for work done by electric field is W=qV, but another book says W=-PE. However, when I try both equations for the following problem I get different answer. Could someone...
  24. X

    Electricity problem, is high potential at

    Homework Statement A proton of mass 1.67 * 10^-27 kg moves from a location where V1 = 75 V to a spot where Vf = -20V. a) Calculate the change in the protons kinetic energy b) Replace the proton with an electron, determine its change in kinetic energy Homework Equations The...
  25. X

    Electricity contradiction? Which one is right

    Homework Statement The potential at a point is 20 V. Calculate the work done in bringing a charge of 0.5 C to this point. Homework Equations V = Ee / q W = -Ee The Attempt at a Solution Ee = 10 J W = -10 J But the answer is 10 J. Why isn't it negative? It's contradicting...
  26. K

    Photons and electrons and electricity.

    A) I want to understand electricity in terms of quantum theory. as I understand photons are the carriers of EM energy so how do photons trasfer energy from electric company or battery through a wire. and the connection to electron movement (do electrons from one atom bum into another...
  27. supak111

    Why don't fluorescent bulbs blow up when electricity is connected?

    Why don't fluorescent bulbs blow up when electricity is connected? My understanding is that gas inside heats up to plasma to make light. Wouldn't the heat of plasma expand the gas, add extra pressure and the pressure would break the glass? Maybe super low pressure inside the bulb to start with?
  28. S

    A question is physics (electricity)

    "Everything there is in the universe is a number of conductors that their overall load is greater than zero. Prove that there is at least one conductor with no negative density surface charge anywhere" thx for any help...
  29. S

    Idea of efficient electricity generating system model?

    Hello, Ok, this may be a stupid one, I'm not a scientist nor engineer, but it's been haunting me since, due to some conjuncture, it came into my mind. Sorry if this is not the right category for this topic. I attached very rough sketches about this. A very summary description: 1. Any kind of...
  30. D

    Electricity question on the power generated by power stations.

    Homework Statement 2)The power stations providing electricity for the National Grid generate electricity at 25kV. The typical demand on an average winter's day in the north-west of England is 6000MW. The current output form the generators is 240kV. Transformers raise the transmission voltage...
  31. P

    What material is a poor conductor of electricity?

    Hello, I was wondering if anyone could tell me of an easily available (to a primary school teacher) solid material that conducts electricity, but noticeably poorly, so that it can be demonstrated and hopefully performed by 9 year olds. To be exact, I want a solid material that can be...
  32. D

    How Do Changes in Dimensions Affect Electrical Resistance in Conductive Paint?

    Can someone give me explanations for the answers to these questions as the book just gives small simple answers? 1)A volume of 1.2x10^-5 m^3 of conducting paint is poured into a glass cylinder of base area 3.0x10^-4 m^2. It fills the cylinder to a height of 40mm. The resistance between the top...
  33. A

    Why Groundwire at the Centre of Electricity pylon?

    We have noticed in various electricity pylons/towers that groundwire or shieldwire is always placed at the top and between the two conductors ? why is that so? If you look at the 220kV structures or 500kV structures of pylons, you will notice the groundwire is placed at the middle of...
  34. C

    Difference between W/Q and E/Q in Electricity

    In the Electricity section of the AQA A Level Physics data sheet (link given bellow) it includes these 3 equations: http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-PHYA4-PHYA5-W-A2-DFB.PDF V=W/Q Emf = E/Q Emf = I(R+r) I understand that Emf and Voltage both have the unit Volts, and Work Done...
  35. D

    Electricity & magnetism, circuit with capacitors

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/gvml20bk7435zoa/a.gif I need to calculate the equivalent capacitance of this circuit, but I cannot tell which of the capacitors are in series or in parallel. Can someone explain to me how can we figure this out?
  36. Psinter

    How much electricity can a generator generate before it wears out?

    I was wondering out of boredom, how much would a generator last generating electricity if I keep it running for forever. Assuming I have fuel for forever and I start a generator, how much would it last before it stops generating electricity? Like, does the copper wires wear out and stop...
  37. R

    Why isn't electricity flowing through this wire?

    In the top circuit, electricity doesn't flow through section 2, but it does in section 1. In the bottom circuit however, electricity flows through both sections 3 and 4. Why does simply adding a resistor stop the flow of electricity in 2? Much appreciated!
  38. Y

    Electricity generation - gear mechanics and speed

    I watched a documentary recently about electricity generation, and I've been trying to figure out whether an example they provided is actually possible or not in theory. If a big wheel, much like a Ferris wheel, spins but slowly, very slowly (let's say 5 revolutions per minute), and you...
  39. V

    Current of electricity- power of a resistor in parallel

    I got the answer by comparing I2R of the circuit with resistor R but why do i have to use R/2 for power of resistor R?( P= (0.5I)^2 (R/2)) I know its parallel to Resistor Q but i want to find the power of that component so shouldn't it be P= (0.5I)^2 (R) instead?
  40. E

    Uniformly charged distributions (Electricity)

    Homework Statement Positive charge +Q is distributed uniformly along the +x axis from x=0 to x=a. Negative charge - Q is distributed uniformly along the +x axis from x=0 to x=-a. A positive point q lies on the positive y axis, a distance y from the origin. Find the force (mag and dir.) that...
  41. Ackbach

    MHB Solve Sign Issues in Elec. Potential, Energy, Force, Field, Work

    I had some trouble reconciling signs while attempting to teach electricity to my students here. The topic is electric potential, potential energy, electric force, electric field, and work. After much thought - several hours - I have finally come up with a presentation that solves the issues...
  42. E

    Electricity with conservation of energy involved.

    A tiny sphere of mass 7.70 µg and charge −2.80 nC is initially at a distance of 1.74 µm from a fixed charge of +9.25 nC. (a) If the 7.70-µg sphere is released from rest, find its kinetic energy when it is 0.500 µm from the fixed charge. (b) If the 7.70-µg sphere is released from rest, find...
  43. R

    Electric Shock Risk From AC Generator: Can You Touch 1 Terminal?

    Can one get electric shock by touching only one terminal of AC generator ?
  44. M

    The future methods of generating electricity?

    Two main methods of generating electricity that I know off, and that are common: 1 ) Magnets & Coils 2 ) Solar cells. The only two methods! What do you all think are the possibile future methods? Are we close? Is there something you recommend me of look at? I was just thinking of how...
  45. K

    Understanding the Role of Grounding in AC Single Phase Systems

    helllo ALLLLLL my question in Ac single phase without earth only one phase live and one neutral why we say that live line would kill but neutral won't kill isn't neutral carry current for return "same live current"
  46. I

    Good study guide for Electricity and Magnetism?

    I wasn't really sure where to post this, but I am currently taking a second year Electricity and Magnetism course this term. I want to be able to do well in this course in order to keep my GPA up, but I don't have a particular interest in this class and the prof flies through the material at a...
  47. C

    Electricity and magnetism ( word problems )

    Homework Statement please cheack my answears and see if they are right, please help me solve the wrong ones thankyou ! (1)if you were to expend 10 J of work to push a 1 C charge against an electric field , what would be its change of Voltage ? voltage = electric potential energy /...
  48. M

    Electricity and Electric Field Questions

    I just need some help and verification on some of these questions from my physics textbook, this chapter also covers electroscope. 1) If you charge a pocket comb with a silk, how can you determine if the comb is positively or negatively charged? The attempt at a solution: We can use an...
  49. M

    The speed of electricity and the loses

    Hi I am "new" here. Uh so the speed of electricity in copper is about 95-97% of the speed of light. Now to clarify. That is the speed it uses (say DC) from one place to another. And the reason for the loses in speed is due to the electrons having mass. So when one bumps the other the...
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