Electricity Our power today

Volts Volts is the measure of electrical pressure. Think of pressure as pressing in all directions not just down. Things such as light bulbs need a certain number of input of volts to work.

More on Volts Volts can also be said to be the push of electricity. It makes the electric flow move. As said in the last slide, a system that needs electricity needs a certain number of volts to work.

Circuit A circuit is the path of an electrical current. This is mostly circular and continues.

Amperes The measure of the rate and speed of electrons moving on a wire is measured in amperes; amps. Amps is basically the speed at which electrons move.

Watts Watts=volts x amps Watts = volt x amps. Watts is the amount of power or energy it takes to overcome the resistance in a circuit. Watts=volts x amps

AC/DC AC is the alternating current. This is when a current can go to ways. DC is the direct current and this is when the current can go one way only.

Symbols Motor Cell Switch open and closed Lamp

More Symbols Resistor Battery Buzzer Voltmeter

Switches Switches control the electricity in a circuit. When a switch is off, the flow stops.

Resistance Resistance is the force that tries to stop the electrical flow or current. The sign for resistance is the Greek omega symbol and is measured in ohm’s.

Light Bulbs Light bulbs take in the electrical current and send it through until it reaches the filament which has a very high resistance. The electrical flow slows so the light will be shown out.

Circuit Drawings You can read circuit drawings by the symbols used. However the symbols may vary slightly due to the unofficial symbol. In the next few slides, I will walk you through a drawn circuit, what the symbols mean, and how it’s drawn.

What this is saying is that because lamps have a high resistance, if they are in a series then the electrical current will be slowed substantially. Instead, if they are parallel then the flow will be better.

The circuit That was a simple circuit. The circuits used by professionals are much more complex with more symbols.

Alternative Energy in Electricity When you use alternative energy with electricity you attach the wires to whatever you need. So you use the source to turn your turbine, but once the turbine is turned you get electricity from the generator. The generator most likely has wires that use the energy made to go to use. Shown in the picture below, the solar panel channels the electrons through the wires to charge the batteries.

Making Electricity To make electricity, you have to turn a turbine (at least for major alternative electric plants). They use heat to boil water so steam can turn the turbine to produce electricity. The picture is geothermal energy.

Solar Panel Solar panels take the sun’s light and knock the electrons loose and channel them through to a circuit.

Batteries Batteries store energy and release electricity. It’s composition is a carbon rod, positive and negative terminal, and a chemical paste.

Resistors Resistors are used to slow electrical flow so that the amps will slow and there is not too much power entering a home (overpower may cause fire). Below is the symbol for a resistor.

Lightning Lightning is formed in a big, storm cloud. The mixing of electrons causes the bottom of the cloud to be negative, the force is strong enough to push earth’s positive particles closer to earth. Because the charges want to neutralize the other charge, there will be a pathway made, then the charges travel across in the form of lightning.

Electricity Electricity is how we power our appliances and our materials. We will constantly find new ways to get electricity.