{"id":142,"date":"2019-10-29T19:01:10","date_gmt":"2019-10-29T19:01:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/?p=142"},"modified":"2021-06-17T18:46:26","modified_gmt":"2021-06-17T18:46:26","slug":"how-electricity-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.axcontrol.com\/blog\/2019\/how-electricity-works\/29\/10\/","title":{"rendered":"How Electricity Works"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We take electricity for granted these days. But think of everything we do with electricity. We cook our food, light our homes, keep our families warm with it. It powers our vehicles. And it keeps many of our waking hours filled with entertainment. But do you know how electricity works? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electricity is one of most of the impactful technologies to human existence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Electricity is useful, helpful, even beautiful. But how does it work? <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How does electricity work?<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Is the electric shock we receive from staticky socks the same as power coming into our television and computer? If they aren’t, how do they relate to each other? And what about batteries? Also, how does the power stored there relate to those other kinds of power?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In simplest terms, the power in your socks, in batteries, and coming into your home are all the same. Each one has electric current moving particles from areas of a different charge. It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about annoying static, a charge hidden in batteries, or high voltage lines. In each case, there is a discharge occurring as the system tries to find a balance between positively and negatively charged electrons. Read more below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What is Current<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Electrical current refers to the flow of an electrical charge. The currents we use today are one of two types: direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC.) The names of the currents are big hints about how they act. Direct current flows in only one direction<\/strong>, while alternating current changes direction<\/strong>. Batteries are examples of DC current. However, DC current is not efficient over long distances. And we use AC current for high voltages that are capable of long transmission distances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Standard electrical plugs connect devices to AC power. Batteries are examples of DC current.

<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Series and Parallel Circuits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most electrical circuits are series<\/strong> or parallel circuits<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a series circuit<\/strong>, the current flowing through each component is the same., The voltage across the circuit is the sum of the voltage drops across each component. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’ve ever had old-fashioned Christmas lights where, when one bulb goes out the whole string goes out, that is an example of a series circuit. When one device in the circuit breaks, the entire circuit stops working. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Series
CC diagram by Mets501.
A series circuit with three resistance units and a single voltage source.

Current in series circuits can be found through I=I1<\/sub>=I2<\/sub>=….In<\/sub>, as the current is the same for all elements.
Voltage in a series circuit can be found through V=V 1<\/sub> +V2<\/sub>…+Vn<\/sub> as the voltage is the sum of voltage drops of each individual component.
<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

When two or more components connect in parallel, they have the same difference of voltage from end-point to end-point. This creates a parallel circuit<\/strong>. The total current of a parallel circuit is the sum of the currents through the individual components. This is known as Kirchhoff’s Current Law<\/strong>(see below.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Diagram
CC diagram by Omegatron.
Voltage of a parallel circuit can be found through
V = V1<\/sub> = V2<\/sub> = … Vn<\/sub>, as voltage is the same across the circuit
Current can be found using Ohms Law (see below.)

<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Ohm’s Law<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ohm’s law is one of the most fundamental laws of electricity. It states V=IR. Translated, this means the voltage is equal to current, which is measured in Amperes, times Resistance, which is measured in Ohms, represented by \u03a9. <\/p>\n\n\n\n