Beatrice Lang
Electricity is a type of energy that comes from the flow of electrical power, also known as a charge. It is used to power our homes, lights, electronics, and even cars! Electricity is a secondary energy source, which means it is made from other items found in nature, such as coal, oil, gas, wind, water, and the sun. These sources are called primary sources and can be renewable or non-renewable. Renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, hydropower, and bioenergy, are generally cleaner, greener, and cheaper. Non-renewable sources, such as coal, fossil fuels, and nuclear power, are more costly and harmful to the environment. To get to our homes, electricity is generated by power plants and travels through transmission and distribution power lines, or the grid, at high voltage. It then goes through substations, which lower the voltage, so it is safe to be used in our homes.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Electricity is a type of energy that comes from the flow of electrical power, also known as a charge. |
| Sources | Coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, hydropower, wind, solar, bioenergy, fossil fuels, and other renewable and non-renewable sources. |
| Electricity Generation | Electricity is generated by converting other sources of energy, such as burning fossil fuels or using wind turbines, solar panels, or hydropower. |
| Measurement | Electricity is measured in watts, kilowatts (1,000 watts), and megawatt (1 million watts). |
| Transmission | Electricity is transmitted through power lines, also known as the "grid," which includes substations, transformers, and power lines connecting producers and consumers. |
| Voltage | High voltage is used for transmission to minimize loss in transit, and it is converted to lower voltage for domestic use. |
| Socket | An opening in your home where you can plug electronics in is called an electric socket. |
| Meter | A meter measures how much energy something uses and is usually located outside your house. |
| Lightning | Lightning is a natural occurrence of electricity, but it is challenging to harness it for power. |
| History | Electricity has been around for a few hundred years. While no single person invented it, Benjamin Franklin is often considered its "official founder." |
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What You'll Learn
Renewable energy sources: wind, solar, hydropower and bioenergy
Electricity is a type of energy that comes from the flow of electrical power. We can get electricity from sources like coal, oil, natural gas, and renewable sources like wind, solar, hydropower, and bioenergy. Renewable energy sources are naturally replenishing, but they are limited by the availability of resources. Renewable energy can reduce the use of fossil fuels and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Wind Energy
Wind energy is made when wind turbines use blades to collect the wind's kinetic energy. The wind flows over the blades, creating lift, which causes the blades to turn. These blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator, which produces electricity. Good places for wind turbines are where the wind blows at an annual average speed of at least 9 miles per hour. Some good locations include the tops of hills, open plains, water, and mountain gaps. The United States has seen a significant increase in wind energy use, with wind turbines being the source of about 10.2% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation in 2022.
Solar Energy
The sun gives off radiant energy, which we can use to generate electricity. Solar panels are made up of many solar cells that absorb the sun's energy and convert it into electricity. Solar energy systems do not produce air pollutants or carbon dioxide and have minimal effects on the environment. The use of solar energy has increased a lot in the United States and worldwide in the past 30 years.
Hydropower
Hydropower is electricity that comes from running water. The water flows through a pipe and pushes against and turns blades in a turbine to spin a generator to produce electricity. The volume of the water flow and the change in elevation determine the amount of energy in the moving water. Hydropower plants are usually located near a water source, like a big river or waterfall. Hydropower is one of the oldest sources of energy, used thousands of years ago to turn paddle wheels to help grind grain.
Bioenergy
Bioenergy is a type of renewable energy that comes from living things or their waste. It includes biomass, which is the biological material we use to create energy, like wood or plants. Biofuel is fuel made from biological sources, and it can be used to power cars or heat homes.
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Non-renewable energy sources: coal, fossil fuels and nuclear power
Electricity is all around us and we use it every day. It powers our homes, lights, and electronics. But where does it come from? Well, electricity is made from different sources, and these sources are either renewable or non-renewable. Renewable energy sources are cleaner, greener, and cheaper, so we want as much of our electricity as possible to come from these sources. But sometimes, we need to use non-renewable sources as well. These are called non-renewable because they could run out in only a few generations.
Non-renewable energy sources include coal, fossil fuels, and nuclear power. Coal is a black rock that, when burned, produces heat and electricity. It was formed from plants and animals millions of years ago and is usually found deep underground. Burning coal is a major source of carbon dioxide gas, which contributes to climate change. Coal is still used a lot today, with half of the electricity in the United States being generated by burning coal.
Fossil fuels are fuels made from fossilized plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. They include coal, natural gas, and petroleum. Natural gas is often found with oil underground and is used to heat buildings and to generate electricity. Petroleum, also known as oil, is also found underground and is used to make gasoline for cars and other vehicles. Burning fossil fuels releases chemicals into the air and water, causing pollution and damage to the environment.
Nuclear power is energy that comes from a nuclear reactor. In nuclear power plants, machines split atoms to create electricity. This process is called nuclear fission. Nuclear energy is used to generate electricity in power plants, and it was the third-highest source of electricity in the United States in 2023.
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How electricity gets to your home
Electricity is a type of energy that comes from the flow of electrical power, also known as a charge. It is a secondary energy source, which means it is made from other sources. These sources are known as "primary sources" and can be renewable or non-renewable.
Renewable energy sources include wind, solar, hydropower, and bioenergy. Wind turbines convert wind energy into electricity, and solar energy is produced by solar panels that turn sunlight into electricity. Hydropower plants use flowing water from reservoirs to spin a turbine connected to a generator to create electricity. These sources are generally cleaner, greener, and cheaper, so it is desirable to generate as much electricity as possible from them.
Non-renewable energy sources include coal, fossil fuels, and nuclear power. Fossil fuels are things like coal, oil, or natural gas. Nuclear power plants use a process called nuclear fission, which is the splitting of atoms, to create energy.
Once the electricity has been generated, it is fed onto the electricity transmission network, which is like a motorway for energy, carrying electricity at high voltage across the country. This network includes substations, transformers, and power lines that connect electricity producers and consumers. In your home, you have sockets, which are openings where you can plug in electronics. When you plug something in, the flow of electrons goes from the socket, through the wires, and into the device.
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How electricity is made
Electricity is a type of energy that comes from the flow of electrical power, also known as a charge. It is a secondary energy source, which means it is made from other items. These items are known as "primary sources" and can be renewable or non-renewable. Renewable energy sources include wind, solar, hydropower, and bioenergy. Wind turbines convert wind energy into electricity. Similarly, solar energy is converted directly from sunlight in a photovoltaic cell. Hydropower plants use flowing water from reservoirs to spin a turbine connected to a generator.
Non-renewable energy sources include coal, fossil fuels, and nuclear power. Fossil fuels are fuels that can be found in nature, such as coal, natural gas, and oil. Coal-generated electricity is created by milling coal into a fine powder and blowing it into a combustion chamber of a boiler to be burned at a high temperature. Nuclear power plants use steam turbines to produce electricity from nuclear fission, the splitting of atoms.
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What electricity is and how it works
Electricity is a type of energy that comes from the flow of electrical power, also known as a charge. It is a secondary energy source, which means it is made from other sources of energy. These sources are known as "primary sources". Primary sources can be renewable or non-renewable, but the electricity itself is neither.
Renewable energy sources include wind, solar, hydropower, and bioenergy. These sources create little to no carbon emissions when producing electricity. Non-renewable energy sources include coal, fossil fuels, and nuclear power. Renewable energy sources are generally cleaner, greener, and cheaper, so it is desirable to generate as much electricity as possible using these sources. However, there are times when there isn't enough renewable electricity being generated to meet the country's needs, so we also rely on non-renewable sources.
Electricity is generated by power plants and delivered to consumers through transmission and distribution power lines, also known as the "grid". This complex system includes substations, transformers, and power lines that connect electricity producers and consumers. The electricity is then supplied to homes and businesses via a local network.
Electricity travels in closed circuits and must have a complete path before electrons can move through it. Electrons are the particles in atoms that have a negative charge and are attracted to things with a positive charge. When you plug something into a socket, the flow of electrons goes from the socket, through the wires, and into the device. When you unplug it, the flow of electrons stops.
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Frequently asked questions
Electricity is a type of energy that comes from the flow of electrical power, also known as a charge. We use electricity to power our homes, lights, electronics, and even cars!
Electricity comes from different sources, which can be either renewable or non-renewable. Renewable energy sources include wind, solar, hydropower, and bioenergy. Non-renewable energy sources include coal, fossil fuels, and nuclear power.
After electricity is generated, it is fed into the electricity transmission network, which is like a motorway for energy, carrying electricity across the country. The electricity then goes through substations, which lower the voltage so it can be safely supplied to homes. Finally, electricity travels through power lines to reach your house.
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