Electricity
Before you talk about electricity, you have to first consider light. Light wasn't this complex topic a few centuries or even decades ago. It was just something used to illuminate a dark place. There were no light bulbs, cars or even the machines we have come to know and use because they make our lives easier and our jobs faster. That was the time of oil lanterns and candles. Even today, because it's not every part of the world that has stable electrical supply or even electricity at all, you still find these appliances. I know for some people today, those are things you find in a museum but for others, it's just a regular part of life. After all, you can't miss what you never had. So, let's talk about how electricity even originated and how it works.
What exactly is electricity
Electricity is a physical phenomenon that is involved and occurs with the motion of electric charges. Electric charges can be either positive or negative. The movement of electric charges is called electric current and their presence leads to electric field. Electricity is all around us nowadays and it's practically used in the powering of anything even remotely mechanical. Even in nature, you can't escape it because one of the major examples is lightning. Even things such as static energy can be attributed to electricity.
Electricity was not just noticed in modern times. It has been present for centuries but had just not been harnessed. The ancient Egyptians referred to the electric eel as the thunderer of the sea. They thought it was the protector of other fish in the sea. But it was in the 1600's that scientists and researchers became curious over electricity. It had been noticed previously that after rubbing a rod against a surface and then placing it close to some pieces of paper, that the rod magnetized them. This led people to wonder over what exactly the caused this phenomenon.
Electricity arises from sub-atomic particles. The atom comprises of protons, electrons and neutrons. Electrons are very important the occurrence of electricity is mainly due to the flow and movement of electrons. Electrical power is usually transformed and distributed by transformers, which generates electrical power at a high voltage but low current. Electricity is needed by most machines but not always at the quantities available. Therefore,most appliances have limiters that control how much electricity they use.
But electricity is not something that humans should have direct contact with. Our bodies cannot handle electrical currents over a certain quantity and this may lead to dead in fatal cases. That is why electrical appliances come with insulators and wires are usually covered with a plastic casing. This reduces the chances of there being direct contact with electricity.
Some animals are sensitive to electrical charges such as sharks, that can detect and respond to changes in electrical fields. This ability is known as electroreception. Other animals have developed electricity into defensive structures against predators, for example, the electric eels. Electrons are also present in the nervous system and this allows neurons to transmit messages to the brain and allow various functions in the body.
Electricity has improved the living standards of people everywhere. It makes transportation, communication, feeding and even medical treatments easier.