Wiktor Wise
Electrons are a fundamental part of the atom, spinning around the nucleus in shells. These electrons carry a negative charge and are attracted to the positively charged protons in the nucleus. Electrons can be pushed out of their orbits and move from atom to atom, and this movement of electrons is what we call electricity. Electric current is the flow of electrical charge, and in the case of the electric grid, this current is facilitated by the electrons in the wires. However, it is important to note that the electrons themselves move quite slowly, and the speed of electricity is closer to the speed of light. So, how does electricity in the electric grid actually work?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature of electrons | Negatively charged particles that spin around the nucleus of an atom |
| Electron source | Pre-existing in the metallic wires |
| Electron movement | Electrons move slowly through the wire, but the speed of electricity is near the speed of light |
| Electron flow | Electrons do not get used up or burned up like fuel |
| Electric current | Flow or movement of electrical charge |
| Alternating Current (AC) | The electrical current that is generated by the power station and received at homes continually changes direction |
| Direct Current (DC) | Can be likened to a closed system involving a water tank, a water pump, a water tower, and a water turbine to generate electricity |
| Drift velocity | The average speed at which electrons travel in a conductor when subjected to an electric field is about 1mm per second |
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What You'll Learn
- Electrons are not consumed or destroyed by electrical devices
- Electric generators don't create electrons, they push them around
- Electrons move slowly through the wire, but the effects of electricity are instant
- Electrons can be pushed out of their orbits and shift from one atom to another
- The electrons in the shells closest to the nucleus are strongly attracted to the protons
Electrons are not consumed or destroyed by electrical devices
In electrical circuits, electrons flow through the wires, driven by a voltage source such as a battery, solar cell, or generator. This voltage causes a difference in electric potential, creating a closed-loop system where electrons can continuously circulate. The energy in the circuit is the result of electrons moving through it, not from the electrons themselves.
For example, in a 120V motor, the current travels through the windings, back on the neutral, and then back up the pole. Even when the motor draws 1A, clamping on the neutral will show that 1A is still flowing, indicating that the electrons are not consumed by the device. This is similar to an artificial waterfall, where water flows down due to gravity and is then pumped back up to the top, ready to flow down again. The water is not consumed but is continuously reused.
Electrons in a circuit behave similarly. They flow through the circuit, doing work along the way, and then return to the voltage source, ready to circulate again. This cycle repeats as long as the circuit remains uninterrupted. The electrons are not used up or destroyed in the process; they are simply pushed around the grid.
Additionally, the number of electrons in a circuit is abundant. Every atom within a wire possesses sufficient electrons to facilitate the flow of current. Even with the addition of more electrical devices or power sources, such as wind turbines, there are still plenty of electrons available to be pushed around the grid.
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Electric generators don't create electrons, they push them around
Electric generators do not create electrons; they simply push them around in a circuit. This is because electrons are not used up or burned up like gas in a car. They return to the ground and are ready to be used again.
Electrons are a fundamental part of atoms, which are the building blocks of the universe. Atoms are made up of a nucleus, consisting of protons and neutrons, and electrons, which spin around the nucleus in shells. The electrons in the outermost shells of atoms are not strongly attracted to the protons in the nucleus and can be pushed out of their orbits. Applying a force to these electrons can make them shift from one atom to another, and these shifting electrons are what we call electricity.
Generators create a force that moves these electrons, and this force is what we refer to as electricity. The electrons present in the generator's material are excited, and this excitement is transferred down the line, creating a constant stream of electricity. This can be compared to a line of billiard balls in a circular track; pushing one ball will cause the others to move in a loop.
The electrons in a generator come from the other connection in the circuit. They are present in the windings of the generator and the wires the electricity flows through. These electrons are then pushed from the input to the output of the generator, creating a flow of electrons or electricity.
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Electrons move slowly through the wire, but the effects of electricity are instant
Electrons are the subatomic particles that carry electrical charge. They are constantly spinning and moving within the outermost shells of atoms, trying to stay as far away from each other as possible. Atoms are the fundamental units of matter, and everything in the universe, including wires and other electrical conductors, is made up of atoms.
Electrons are responsible for the flow of electricity. When a switch is turned on, an electrical potential difference is created by a generator, causing a force that tries to move the electrons. Due to the nature of electrons, if one moves, all the others in the wire have to move as well. This movement is incredibly slow, with a speed of about 1 mm per second or 1 cm per minute, also known as the drift velocity. In a typical copper wire, there would be trillions of electrons flowing past any given point in the wire every second, but they move slowly, working their way through the billions of atoms in the wire.
However, the effects of electricity are instantaneous. When you flip a switch, the light turns on instantly, even though the electrons are moving slowly through the wire. This is because the electric and magnetic fields move at the speed of light in the insulating medium around the wire, carrying the signal and controlling the flow of electrons. The electromagnetic wave rippling through the electrons propagates at close to the speed of light, resulting in the immediate effects of electricity that we observe.
The concept of electricity can be likened to a line of billiard balls stacked in a circular track. When you push one ball, the others move in a loop. Similarly, electrons move through the wire, but they don't get used up or burned like fuel. They return to the ground and are ready to be used again. Power stations don't create or destroy electrons; they simply push them around the grid.
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Electrons can be pushed out of their orbits and shift from one atom to another
Atoms are the building blocks of the universe. Everything in the universe, including the human body, air, and water, is made of atoms. The center of an atom is called the nucleus, which is made up of particles called protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge, while electrons have a negative one. Electrons spin around the nucleus in shells, and they are held in these shells by an electrical force.
Electrons in the shells closest to the nucleus have a strong force of attraction to the protons. However, electrons in an atom's outermost shells may not have a strong force of attraction to the protons. These electrons can be pushed out of their orbits and shift from one atom to another. This movement of electrons is what we call electricity. For example, lightning is a form of electricity where electrons move from one cloud to another or from a cloud to the ground. Similarly, when you touch an object after walking on a carpet, a stream of electrons jumps from the object to you, and you feel a shock. This is called static electricity.
It is important to note that electrons are not physical objects with volume, shape, or size. They are wavefunctions, or areas of probability where an electron could be. Electrons can only fit into specific "orbits" or "orbitals" that correspond to their wavelength. These orbitals are not neat circles or ovals but rather lobed shapes. When an electron transitions between energy levels, it does not move anywhere but changes shape. The quicker an electron transitions, the more uncertain its energy becomes.
In the context of the electric grid, electric generators do not create electrons but rather push them around the grid. These electrons do not get used up; they return to the "ground" and are ready to circulate again. Every atom within a wire has sufficient electrons to facilitate the flow of current.
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The electrons in the shells closest to the nucleus are strongly attracted to the protons
Electrons are the negatively charged subatomic particles that spin and rotate around the outside of the nucleus of an atom. The nucleus, located at the centre of the atom, is made up of particles called protons and neutrons. Protons carry a positive charge, while neutrons carry no charge. The number of protons in an atom determines the kind of atom or element it is.
Electrons are held in their shells by an electrical force. The electrons in the shells closest to the nucleus are strongly attracted to the protons due to the opposing charges of the electrons and protons. Electrons carry a negative charge, while protons carry a positive charge, and opposite charges attract each other. The force of attraction between the electrons and the protons is directly proportional to the distance between them. The greater the distance between the electrons in the outer shells and the protons in the nucleus, the weaker the force of attraction.
The electrons in the outermost shells of an atom may not always have a strong force of attraction to the protons. These electrons can be pushed out of their orbits by applying an external force, causing them to shift from one atom to another. These shifting electrons are electricity. Lightning is a form of electricity that occurs when electrons move from one cloud to another or jump from a cloud to the ground. Static electricity is another example, where a stream of electrons jump from one object to another, such as when you touch an object after walking across a carpet.
It is important to note that electrons don't get used up or burned up like fuel. Electric generators simply push them around the electric grid. Every atom within a wire possesses sufficient electrons to facilitate the flow of current. The drift velocity, or the average speed at which electrons travel in a conductor when subjected to an electric field, is about 1 mm per second.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, electrons flow on the electric grid. They are pushed along by the ones behind them.
Electrons are not created or destroyed. They pre-exist in the wires and can be moved around. They come from the windings of the generator and the wires the electricity flows through.
The speed of electricity is said to be near the speed of light, but the actual progression of individual electrons in a given direction through the wire is quite slow. In a 12-gauge copper wire carrying 10 amperes of current, the individual electrons move about 0.02-0.036 cm per second or about 0.5 inches per minute. This is known as the drift velocity of the electrons.
In Alternating Current (AC) circuits, the electrical current generated by the power station and received at homes continually changes direction. In Direct Current (DC), the current is like a closed system involving a water tank, a water pump, a water tower, and a water turbine to generate electricity.
