What is Electricity?
[ Last Updated 1 March 2006 ]
Electricity is a form of energy. Through the movement of electrons, electricity has the power to heat, to light, to move things and to make things work.
Electricity travels along a circuit. When you plug something in and turn it on, you complete the electrical circuit from the power station to your home.
Electricity can flow through some materials easily, such as metal and water. These are called conductors. Materials, such as rubber, plastic, glass and ceramics are called insulators because electricity does not travel easily through them.
An electrical current will flow to make a circuit. If something that conducts electricity gives it an easy path to the ground, it will take it. People are conductors of electricity as our bodies are mostly water. If you touch an electric circuit and the ground, or earth, at the same time, electricity will flow through you and this could be fatal.
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