Electricity for children - what is electricity and where does it come from?

Imagine, you and your child are getting ready to watch a cartoon or an educational program, lay down on the sofa, and suddenly your child asks: “What makes the TV/phone/tablet work?” It seems that the answer is simple - from electricity, but you don’t need to be Nostradamus to predict the next question that will come from a child: “Where does electricity come from?” And here many parents are stupefied, especially those who did not finish physics and mathematics, and their profession is in no way connected with this direction.

Of course, you can answer as simply as the previous question: “Electricity comes from the outlet.” But so that your child receives a complete and clear answer, in an accessible and understandable language, without abstruse formulas and definitions that most physics textbooks are written in, we suggest staying on this page and reading, perhaps not new, but useful and informative information.

What is electricity?

The word “electricity” itself, or more precisely, “electric” force, appeared more than 2000 years ago in Ancient Greece. People have noticed that if you rub amber on wool, the stone begins to attract various small objects. Amber in ancient Greek was called “electron”, hence the name itself.

But the study of the mysterious phenomenon did not progress beyond simple experiments with static electricity among the Ancient Greeks. And the essence of the whole phenomenon began to be revealed much later. Scientists have found that surrounding objects consist of elementary particles: protons and electrons. These two types of particles have an electric charge: the electron has a negative charge, but the proton has a positive charge. Attracted to each other, they closely interact and, depending on the number of protons and electrons, form atoms of different matters.

The protons themselves are located in the nucleus of the atom, but the electrons rotate around them in a circle. Atoms with the same number of protons as the number of electrons have zero charge. For example, if an amber stone lies on its own and no one touches it, then its atoms also have zero charge. But if you rub amber atoms against wool atoms, the electrons from the wool will instantly move to the amber ones, and their “excess” will make the charge negative. Such a pebble with “new strength” begins to attract small objects with a zero or positive charge, and if the object has a negative charge, it will repel them.

Children about electricity

Electricity is like a lot of little angry bees running around on the wires and making the appliances work. It is impossible to see them, and there is no point in trying. Games with electric current always end badly - electricity can seriously shock, burn, or even kill. It’s not for nothing that every parent explains that electric current is very dangerous. So it’s better to stay away from sockets and wires.

Only specially trained people - electricians - control electricity. They, like wizards, connect wires into a large web, install switches, switches and sockets. Or, as they say in smart books, they carry out electrical installation work. Electricity can be of different strengths and voltages. The voltage in the outlet is 220 Volts, which is very dangerous for human life. But in batteries it is small, only from 1.5 to 9 Volts, so it is practically not felt by a person. Each electrical device, be it a light bulb, a toy or a TV, is designed for a certain voltage. If the electricity has low voltage, the device may not work. If its value is large, it may deteriorate or even catch fire. Therefore, you should not, for example, try to connect a 9-volt battery to a watch or toy. Most likely, she will never earn money again. And, of course, no experiments should be carried out with an electrical outlet or wires. For example, you cannot cut the wire or twist it too much - a short circuit, explosion and fire may occur.

They receive electricity at special stations. It can arise from solar energy, falling water, special devices - generators, or be obtained when any chemical reaction occurs. For example, if you connect two electrodes—zinc and copper—to a lemon, you can generate enough electricity to power a small watch. A similar scheme for generating electricity is used in batteries and accumulators. Electricity can also be generated by rubbing a plastic stick on a woolen surface. This is exactly how it was discovered, however, the first scientists used amber instead of plastic.

People use electricity everywhere; absolutely all modern devices run on it. Therefore, the profession of an electrician always remains honorable and extremely in demand. Children first become acquainted with electricity at school, in physics lessons, where they are told almost all the secrets of this unique, but at the same time dangerous phenomenon.

Electric current is an organized group of electrons

But how does electricity live in an outlet if everything is so dispersed in this circuit?

Almost all atoms can lose and gain electrons. So, if some have an excess of them, and others have a deficiency, then the electrons directed by electrical forces will rush to where they are lacking. This flow is called electric current.

Among the concepts familiar to us, electric current is similar to a river, which, spilling into many branches, powers electrical appliances. But before sending this stream of negatively charged particles, do they need to be taken from somewhere?

The best minds of the last millennium struggled with this issue, but the first to make a breakthrough was the Italian scientist Alessandro Volta, who in 1800 invented the first battery, called the “Volta Pillar,” thereby giving the world a reliable source of constant electricity. In gratitude for such a discovery, the scientist’s name was immortalized, and since that time, current voltage has been measured in volts.

Where does electricity come from?

Despite the fact that the “Volta Pillar” made a breakthrough in the science of that time, over the next 200 years a lot of more global discoveries were made and many ways to produce electric current were discovered, for which huge structures were built and the latest technologies were used! And now, in order.

TPP - thermal power plant

To generate current, a turboelectric generator is installed at the thermal power plant, consisting of:

the fixed part is a stator in the form of a bipolar magnet;
a rotating rotor, which is wound with copper wire, since this metal is considered the best and most accessible conductor.

The continuous rotation of the magnet constantly changes the polarity (poles) causing the electrons in the wire to move, as in the example with amber and wool, only on a larger scale. But for this whole mechanism to work and electricity to be generated, “something” must spin a huge turbine. For this purpose, huge boilers are installed at thermal power plants that heat water to 450 ℃, causing it to turn into steam. Next, under high pressure, steam flows from the boiler onto the blades attached to the rotor, and starts it into operation at an incredible speed - 3000 revolutions per minute!

NPP - nuclear power plant

Here, just like in the thermal power plant, a turboelectric generator is installed, but the very dangerous, but energy-efficient Uranium-235 is responsible for heating the water. In order for it to release heat, huge nuclear reactors are built at nuclear power plants, in which Uranium-235 breaks down into small particles, which generates a large amount of energy used to heat water to steam and start a turboelectric generator.

HPP - hydroelectric power station

A safer, but no less effective way to obtain energy. Although it will require the construction of a whole chain of hydraulic structures in order to create the necessary water pressure to ensure the operation of the turbines of the electric generator. And then the principle is the same as in the previous two power plants: the rotor rotates and electricity is generated.

Wind stations

They look majestic and beautiful, and even in ancient times, with the help of the power of the wind, huge mechanisms such as windmills were put into operation.

In the modern world, they decided to improve this mechanism and use it to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. The principle is as follows: the wind pushes huge blades, which put the generator rotor into operation, and it, as we know from the example of the first three power plants, produces current.

But in this way, with the help of one wind generator, you cannot provide even a small town with electricity, which is why a whole network of huge mechanisms, consisting of 100 or more units, is installed.

What is electricity and where does it come from?

What do they think of when they hear the word “electricity” or “electric”? Outlets, power lines, transformers or welders, lightning, batteries and chargers come to mind. Of course, there is a lot of electricity in modern civilization. Moreover, it exists in nature. But what do we know about him?

Electricity is the process of movement of charged particles under the influence of an electromagnetic field:

in one direction (direct current);
with periodic changes of direction (alternating current).

The term is of Greek origin, and "electron" means 'amber'. It was first used by the ancient Greek philosopher Thales.

When we insert a plug into a socket, turn on an electric kettle or press a switch, an electrical circuit is closed between the source and receiver of electricity, thanks to which the electric charge gets a path to move, for example, along the spiral of the kettle. The process can be described as follows:

The source of electricity is a socket.
Electric current is an electric charge that moves through a conductor (for example, the spiral of a teapot).
The conductor connects the socket to the consumer with two wires: along one of them the charge moves to the consumer, and along the second to the socket.
In the case of alternating current, the wires change roles 50 times per second.

The source of energy for the movement of charges (that is, the source of electricity) in cities is power plants. They generate electricity using powerful generators, the rotor of which is driven by a nuclear installation or power plant (for example, a hydraulic turbine).

Power Lines: Freepick

Power plant transformers supply ultra-high alternating voltages of 110, 220, or 500 kilovolts to high-voltage power lines (PTLs). Having reached the step-down substations, it is reduced to the level of the household network - 220 volts. This is the voltage in our sockets, which we use every day, without thinking about the length of the path it travels.

Is it possible to store electricity for domestic purposes? Yes, we use this too. Conversion into chemical energy, namely batteries, helps with this. Chemical reactions between electrodes (substances and solutions that conduct current) create a current when the external circuit is closed to the consumer. The larger the electrode area, the more current can be obtained.

Using different electrode materials and the number of cells connected in the battery, different voltages can be generated. For example, in a lithium-ion battery, the standard voltage per cell is 3.7 volts. It works like this:

Lithium ions with positive charges during the discharge move in the electrolyte from the anode (positive electrode) of copper and graphite to the cathode (negative electrode) of aluminum.
During charging, a reverse movement occurs, and graphite-lithium compounds are formed, that is, energy is stored in the form of a chemical compound.

Such a battery operates fully for about 1000 charge-discharge cycles.

Battery: Freepick

In the modern world, everyone is accustomed to the fact that electricity is always available in the house. Thousands of people work every day to ensure that its sources operate smoothly.

A little history

The world's first public power plant, Pearl Street, was built in New York in 1882. It was designed and installed by none other than Thomas Edison. And he didn’t even charge a fee for using the generated electricity until the entire mechanism worked smoothly and without interruptions.

But the “great-grandmother” of all stations could light only 10,000 lamps, although even at that time this was something supernatural. At the same time, modern power plants produce thousands of times more, providing electricity to cities with a population of 100,000 people!

History of the invention of electricity

It would be wrong to say that one person discovered electricity. The idea itself existed for thousands of years, and then the era of scientific and commercial exploration began. Many great minds have worked on the question of the nature of electricity.

Thales of Miletus

Around 600 BC e. Greek mathematician Thales discovered that when fur rubs against amber, attraction arises between them. It turned out that it is caused by an imbalance of electrical charges, so-called static electricity.

William Gilbert

The English physicist wrote the book “De Magnete” in 1600. In it, the scientist explained the experiments conducted by Thales of Miletus. The phenomenon of static electricity, which the ancient researcher produced with the help of amber (in Greek 'electrum'), Gilbert called electric force.

This is how the English word electricity appeared. In addition, the scientist invented an electroscope that detected the presence of electrical charges on the body.

Charles Francois Dufay

At the beginning of the 17th century, a French scientist discovered two types of electricity. He called them glassy and resinous (in modern terminology - positive and negative charges). He discovered that objects with the same charges attract, and objects with opposite charges repel.

Benjamin Franklin

In the mid-18th century, Benjamin Franklin conducted numerous experiments studying the nature of electricity. In 1748, he managed to build an electric battery from glass sheets compressed with lead plates. The scientist discovered the principle of charge conservation. In the summer of 1752, Franklin conducted a famous experiment that proved that lightning is electricity.

Luigi Galvani

This Italian physicist and biologist took the lead in the discovery of the phenomenon of bioelectromagnetism. In 1780, he conducted experiments on frogs and found that electricity is the medium through which neurons transmit signals to muscles.

Alessandro Volta

This Italian physicist found that some chemical reactions are sources of direct electric current. He built an electric battery using copper and zinc to produce a continuous flow of electrical charges.

Volta introduced the concepts of electric potential (V) and charge (Q), and expressed the law of capacitance, later named after him. For this work, the unit of measurement of electric potential was named in his honor.

Hans Christian Oersted and Andre-Marie Ampère

At the beginning of the 19th century, Danish physicist Hans Christian Oersted discovered a direct connection between electricity and magnetism. He described how a compass needle is deflected by an electric current.

Inspired by this work, French physicist André-Marie Ampère compiled a formula to describe the magnetic forces that arise between objects carrying current. A unit of measurement of electric current was named in his honor.

Michael Faraday

This scientist:

laid the foundation for the concept of the electromagnetic field;
discovered that magnetism affects light rays;
invented electromagnetic rotation devices.

In 1831, Faraday designed an electric dynamo in which rotary mechanical energy was continuously converted into electrical energy. This made it possible to produce electricity.

Thomas Edison

In 1879, a scientist invented a practical light bulb. Next, he set about developing a system that would provide people with a source of energy to power such lamps. In 1882, the first power station was built in London, which generated electricity and supplied it to people's homes.

A few months later, the first power plant appeared in New York, which supplied electricity to illuminate the lower part of Manhattan Island (85 consumers were able to light 5,000 lamps). It was direct current.

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla at work: Flickr
Tesla is known for developing a new type of alternating current motor and electric power transmission technology. He patented an alternating current system to provide people with the highest quality electricity. Tesla's power systems spread to the United States and Europe, as they provided long-distance high-voltage transmission.

How does electric current enter homes?

After power plants generate current, it travels through a cable to a distribution substation for measurement and conversion. Transformers installed there increase the voltage to 10,000 volts. Thanks to this voltage, current is transmitted over long distances with minimal losses at an incredible speed of up to 3000 km per second!

Then the current flows to a step-down substation, where transformers reduce the voltage to 220 volts - the standard adopted in the Russian Federation. And then the electricity is sent to the city’s distribution networks, and from there to your house and apartment. This is the difficult path he takes to charge our phone, light a light bulb or make the refrigerator work.

How does current make electrical appliances work?

But how does current manage to power electrical devices? For a visual understanding, let's take a regular incandescent lamp as a basis and return to our small particles.

As electrons travel at incredible speeds through the light bulb's spiral, they continually collide with the metal atoms that make up the spiral. The atoms wobble and their temperature rises greatly. Thus, the electric current heats the lamp spiral to 3000 degrees, causing it to begin to glow. This is why the use of any metal is not suitable for the spiral, because it will simply melt due to the high temperature.

Modern devices - mobile phones, TVs, microwave ovens - use more complex circuits, but the principle remains the same: due to the rapid flow of particles, the atoms of the conductors heat up, which releases energy and starts the devices to work.

Not only a friend, but also an enemy!

Of course, electricity is an important and irreplaceable invention for all mankind. With its help people:

they have made and are making a lot of discoveries every day;
treat diseases that were fatal in the past;
drive electric vehicles without polluting the environment with exhaust gases;
can travel the world, learn and see sights without leaving home!

All the benefits of electricity simply cannot be described in one article!

But with all this, the current can be dangerous and in a split second take the life of any living creature.

By the way, an interesting fact. Birds that sit on high-voltage wires do not receive a shock due to the fact that they receive the same voltage as in the cable itself. The fact is that they sit only on one phase, but if suddenly the bird’s tail or other part of the body touches the ground, a pole or another wire, the current will immediately hit it.

Rules for safe handling of electricity for children

Young children do not understand the dangers of handling electricity. Of course, we are now not talking about toys powered by 12-volt batteries, but about a dangerous and powerful “beast” that lives in sockets. Therefore, children should not be left near sockets without special plugs, and even without parental supervision.

For older children, it is worth having a conversation and explaining the following rules. It is forbidden:

Place or hang foreign objects on the device cable.
Twist the cable into knots.
Use dirty wire.
Use an electrical appliance near heat sources: radiators, stoves, ovens, etc.
Plug several powerful devices into one outlet at the same time. Show your child where and how you can see the power, or make a list in advance of what you can turn on and what you can’t.
Use or try to repair a broken electrical appliance, including if the insulation (integrity) of the cable is broken, the plug is damaged, etc.
Handle the device or cable with wet hands.
Pull the cord (you need to unplug the device from the outlet while holding the plug).

Unforeseen situations may also arise:

sparks from the socket;
smoke from a cable or device;
burning smell, etc.

In this case, it is necessary to show the child where the electrical panel is and how to turn it off, and explain that after a power outage it is necessary to call one of the adults.

How to teach your child about electricity

Electricity surrounds children everywhere: at home, on the street, in kindergarten, in toys and household appliances - it is difficult to remember an area of human activity where we could do without electricity. Therefore, children’s interest in this topic is understandable. Although a story about the properties of electricity is not only a matter of curiosity, but also... the safety of the baby!

At 2-3 years old, a little man begins a period when he is interested in everything. What is it, why, how does it work, why is it this way and not something else, how is it used, what is useful or harmful - a million questions a day are guaranteed for mom and dad. Moreover, the sphere of interests of the “why” is extensive: he is concerned with both mundane topics (like what money is or the New Year) and sublime ones (what space is, what love is). And questions about electricity are also natural. What is current, where does it come from and where does it go when we flip the switch? Why does the light bulb glow from electricity and the TV work? How does daddy's tablet or his musical toys work without a wire to an outlet? Why is the current so dangerous that parents forbid even approaching this outlet? The options are countless! Of course, you can brush them off, saying that the child is too young to understand this topic (from the point of view of science, electricity is such a complex concept that you can talk about it no earlier than 12-14 years old). But this approach is wrong. Moreover, from the point of view of both education and safety. Even if the baby does not understand the physics of the process, he is quite capable of knowing the essence of electric current and treating it with due respect.

Electricity: bees or electrons?

So let's start with a basic question: what is electricity? When communicating with a 2-3 year old child, several approaches are possible. First: gaming. You can tell your child that, for example, small bees or ants live inside the wires, which are virtually invisible to the human eye. And when the electrical appliance is turned off, they rest there, resting. But as soon as you connect it to the outlet (or press the switch if it is connected to the network), they begin to work: run or fly inside the wire back and forth tirelessly! And from this movement of theirs, energy is generated that lights a light bulb or allows certain devices to work. Moreover, the number of such bee-ants in the wire may vary. The more of them there are and the more actively they move, the higher the current strength - which means the larger the mechanism they can start. Simply put, to make a light bulb in a flashlight glow, you need very few of these “helpers,” but to illuminate a house, you need to have a much, much larger supply of electricity. And here it is important to emphasize: although such bees work for the benefit of people, they can be seriously offended if they are treated carelessly. Moreover, the matter will not be limited to insult - they can bite painfully and painfully (and the more bees, the stronger the bite will be). Therefore, you should not climb into a socket or disassemble an electrical appliance, or touch exposed wires of connected devices - the bees may not like the fact that someone is trying to interfere with their work...

Demonstrate electric current with examples

Whatever approach you choose in a story about electricity, the following question is logical for children: why, when the device is turned on, do bees or electrons begin to move in the wire, what makes them do this? In this case, it is necessary to talk in general terms about the structure of the electrical network, and it is advisable to do this with illustrative examples from the surrounding life or using photo and video materials. Tell us that all the wires in the house converge into one cable that contains the required number of electrons/bees for housing. Then he goes out into the street and, leaning on pillars, leads to a factory where these particles are produced - such a factory is called a power plant. You can tell how they are produced (by burning coal, driven by a hydroelectric power station or wind turbines, by solar panels) if the child shows interest in this. But usually in 2-3 years the concept that there is a factory where they make “electric bees” or electrons is enough. Although no one forbids you to conduct a small but visual experiment with your child. You will need a simple dynamo: with a light bulb and a knob that turns the light on. Your little one will surely be delighted to see that he can produce electricity with his own hands! Moreover, as soon as he stops turning the handle, the light immediately goes out - very clearly and simply.

Teach how to handle electricity carefully!

Just remember: your goal is not to intimidate the child. If you go too far in this matter, there is a high risk that fear of electricity will take root in the baby’s soul. He will be terrified of it, it will be difficult for him to use electrical appliances, he will avoid them and try not to turn them on himself. It is better not to scare, but to teach accuracy and careful handling of current. Therefore, talk about the risks, but do not embellish all the details too much.

To learn how to handle electricity, pay attention to these points:

You cannot turn on any electrical appliances in the house without the permission of adults; they must know that the baby turns on and off the TV, baby monitor or other large electrical appliance;

It is unacceptable to disassemble electrical appliances, even if they are unplugged from the outlet or the child thinks that some part needs to be replaced - for example, a burnt-out light bulb in a night light;