Electrical energy is energy related to forces on electrically charged particles and the movement of those particles (often electrons in wires, but not always). This energy is supplied by the combination of current and electric potential (often referred to as voltage because electric potential is measured in volts) that is delivered by a circuit (e.g., provided by an electric power utility). Motion (current) is not required; for example, if there is a voltage difference in combination with charged particles, such as static electricity or a charged capacitor, the moving electrical energy is typically converted to another form of energy (e.g., thermal, motion, sound, light, radio waves, etc.).
Electrical energy is usually sold by the kilowatt hour (1 kW·h = 3.6 MJ) which is the product of the power in kilowatts multiplied by running time in hours. Electric utilities measure energy using an electricity meter, which keeps a running total of the electric energy delivered to a customer.
Electric heating is an example of converting electrical energy into another form of energy, heat. The simplest and most common type of electric heater uses electrical resistance to convert the energy. There are other ways to use electrical energy. In computers for example, tiny amounts of electrical energy are rapidly moving into, out of, and through millions of transistors, where the energy is both moving (current through a transistor) and non-moving (electric charge on the gate of a transistor which controls the current going through).
Electricity generation is the process of generating electrical energy from other forms of energy.
The fundamental principle of electricity generation was discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday. His basic method is still used today: electric current is generated by the movement of a loop of wire, or disc of copper between the poles of a magnet.[1]
For electrical utilities, it is the first step in the delivery of electricity to consumers. The other processes, electricity transmission, distribution, and electrical energy storage and recovery using pumped-storage methods are normally carried out by the electric power industry.[2]
Electricity is most often generated at a power station by electromechanical generators, primarily driven by heat engines fueled by chemical combustion or nuclear fission but also by other means such as the kinetic energy of flowing water and wind. There are many other technologies that can be and are used to generate electricity such as solar photovoltaics and geothermal power.
Electrical energy is an important concept that helps run the world as we know it. In the U.S. alone, the average family uses 10,649 kilowatthours (kWh) per year, which is enough electrical energy to brew over 120,000 pots of coffee!
But understanding what electrical energy is and how it works can be tricky. That''s why we''ve put together this article to help enlighten you! (Pardon our dad joke.)
Keep reading to learn all about electrical energy, including:
So, what is electrical energy? In a nutshell, electrical energy is the energy (both kinetic and potential) in the charged particles of an atom that can be used to apply force and/or do work. That means that electrical energy has the capacity to move an object or cause an action.
Electrical energy is all around us in many different forms. Some of the best electrical energy examples are car batteries using electrical energy to power systems, wall outlets transferring electrical energy to charge our phones, and our muscles using electrical energy to contract and relax!
Electrical energy is definitely important for our day-to-day lives, but there are lots of other types of energy out there, too. Thermal energy, chemical energy, nuclear energy, light energy, and sound energy are just some of the other major types of energy. Although there may be some overlap of the types of energy (like a wall outlet providing light to a lamp that produces a small amount of heat), it''s important to note that the types of energy act distinctly from one another, though they may be converted into other types of energy.
Atoms contain three main parts: neutrons, protons, and electrons. The nucleus, or the center of the atom, is made up of neutrons and protons. Electrons circle the nucleus in shells. The electron shells kind of look like rings or orbital paths that go around the nucleus.
The number of shells an atom has depends on a lot of things, including the type of atom and whether it''s positively, negatively, or neutrally charged. But here''s the important bit when it comes to electrical energy: the electrons in the shell closest to the nucleus have a strong attraction to the nucleus, but that connection weakens as you move out to the outermost shell. The outermost shell of an atom is known as the valence shell...and the electrons in that shell are known as valence electrons!
Because the valence electrons are only weakly connected to the atom, they can actually be forced out of their orbits when they come into contact with another atom. These electrons can "jump" from the outer shell of their home atom to the outer shell of the new atom. When this happens, it produces electrical energy.
So how do you know when an atom is primed to gain or lose electrons to create electrical energy? Just take a look at the valence electrons. An atom can only ever have eight valence electrons in its outer shell, also known as an octet. If an atom has three or fewer valence electrons, it''s more likely to lose electrons to another atom. When an atom loses electrons to the point that its protons outnumber its electrons, it becomes a positively charged cation.
Likewise, atoms that have an almost full valence shell (with six or seven valence electrons) are more likely to gain electrons in order to have a full octet. When an atom gains electrons to the point where electrons outnumber the atom''s protons, it becomes a negatively charged anion.
Regardless of whether an atom gains or loses electrons, the act of electron movement from one atom to another results in electrical energy. This electrical energy can be used in the form of electricity to do things like power the appliances in your house or run a pacemaker. But it can also be converted to other kinds of energy, like the thermal energy from a toaster that''s plugged into a wall.
While these terms sound similar, electric energy and electricity are not the same thing. While all electricity is the result of electric energy, not all electric energy is electricity.
According to Khan Academy, energy is defined as the measurement of an object''s ability to do work. In physics, "work" is the energy to an object in order to move an object As we talked about in the last section, electric energy comes from the movement of electrons between atoms, which creates a transfer of energy...also known as work. This work generates electric energy, which is measured in Joules.
Keep in mind that electric energy can be converted to all sorts of other kinds of energy, like the thermal energy from a toaster that''s plugged into a wall. That thermal energy creates heat which is what turns your bread into toast! So while electrical energy can become electricity, it doesn''t have to!
When the electron flow of electrical energy is channeled through a conductor, like a wire, it becomes electricity. This movement of an electric charge is called an electric current (and is measured in Watts). These currents, completed through electrical circuits, can power our TVs, stovetops, and much more, all because the electrical energy was directed towards producing a particular desired action, like lighting up the screen or boiling your water.
If you''ve studied energy before, you know that energy can fall into two different main categories: potential and kinetic. Potential energy is essentially stored energy. When atoms'' valence electrons are kept from jumping around, that atom is able to hold--and store--potential energy.
On the other hand, kinetic energy is essentially energy that moves or moves something else. Kinetic energy transfers its energy onto other objects in order to generate force on that object. In kinetic energy, the electrons are free to move between valence shells in order to create electrical energy. Thus, the potential energy stored in that atom is converted to kinetic energy...and ultimately, electrical energy.
So, is electrical energy potential or kinetic? The answer is both! However, electrical energy cannot be both potential and kinetic at the same time. When you see electrical energy enacting work on another object, it''s kinetic, but right before it was able to do that work, it was potential energy.
Here''s an example. When you''re charging your phone, the electricity moving from the wall outlet into your phone battery is kinetic energy. But a battery is designed to hold electricity to use later. That held energy is potential energy, which can become kinetic energy when you''re ready to turn your phone on and use it.
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