How Electricity Works
When not respected, electricity can be dangerous, even fatal.
Electricity is such an essential part of our daily lives, and it has become almost impossible to imagine a world without it. Think about it, a power outage during a heavy storm leaves us in the dark and reminds us of how dependent we are on all that electricity provides us. Knowing how electricity works and travels will help us understand it as a powerful force that can cause severe injury and even death if used without caution.
Electricity’s Physical Properties
Although electricity is invisible, odorless, and has no shape or form, the Earth’s atmosphere is charged with it. You see proof of its presence in nature when witnessing a lightning storm. Though the electricity we use in our daily lives is man-made, it is a phenomenon with absolute characteristics. Some things to remember:
Electricity always seeks a path to the ground. All electrical contact accidents occur when a person accidentally becomes part of the electricity pathway to the ground. Making contact with a power line in the ground can be extremely dangerous and even deadly.
Electricity travels at the speed of light. It is made up of electrons that flow rapidly in a current. Electrical currents move so fast that they cover the distance of the World 7.5 times per second.
Electricity is attracted to materials known as “conductors.” Conductors allow it to flow readily. Some common conductors include:
- Water
- Trees
- People
- Metal
Unlike conductors, electricity does not flow easily through insulating materials such as glass, plastic, or rubber.
Harnessing the Power
The electricity we use every day is generated in power plants where energy from several sources in nature is converted into electricity. For example, power plants can generate hydroelectric power from rivers, solar power from the sun, fossil-based energy from coal, and even wind-based power from wind.
To generate energy from natural sources, we use a few fundamental principles in our power plans, which house generators comprised of large magnets that spin inside wire coils. High-pressure steam or water is forced against the generator’s turbine blades to get the magnets spinning.
As the wire loops rotate between magnetic poles, a flow of electrons or electric current is produced. It is then transferred to transmission lines for distribution through a vast power grid.
Playing it safe
Electricity-related accidents can occur anywhere and anytime a person or conductor interrupts the flow of the current, providing it a path to the ground. Most of the time, using common sense and extra caution around electricity will prevent these types of accidents.
Look Up
Most accidents associated with electricity occur when someone comes into contact with overhead power lines. That’s why you must always be aware of your proximity to such lines, especially when lifting or moving tall or long objects such as rain gutters, TV antennas, irrigation pipes, and ladders. These types of objects can conduct electricity through your body as it moves towards the ground. Another important tip; never fly kites around power lines.
Call before you dig.
Digging into underground power lines is just as dangerous as coming into contact with an overhead line. While these underground lines are insulated, they are not designed to resist a shovel or backhoe blades. Digging into the underground lines can sever the line, causing expensive damage as well as the problems of interrupted power service.