How Does Electricity Work?

Knowing how to stay safe around electricity at home is absolutely paramount - and one of the best ways to ensure that you can keep your family free from risk is to deepen your understanding of how electricity works.

Electricity itself is something of an abstract concept and it can be hard to visualise what it looks like, particularly because we typically take it for granted and don’t often consider what’s happening in the wires and cables that are tucked inside the walls and beneath the floors. We simply flick a switch and the lights turn on and off.

Knowing that electricity is made up of atoms will help you develop your understanding of how these lights come on. Each atom contains a nucleus made up of neutrons and protons, with charged particles known as electrons that revolve around the nucleus.

Electrons have a negative charge and protons have a positive charge, which means that they’re attracted to each other. The electrons in the outermost shell of the nucleus aren’t as strongly attracted to protons as the electrons in the immediate shells are. 

This means that they get bumped out of the orbit and move from one atom to another… and that’s how electric charges are formed!

These charges are then carried along a conductive material of some kind, usually a copper wire, which has a negative charge flow of electrons, which provides the flow with a targeted direction and ensures that the electrons move in a uniform manner while creating an electrical current (the positive charge).

In order for electric currents to take place, there has to be a circuit (a loop or closed path) involved. The current will flow around this loop, usually made by linking different electrical components together with wire cable. 

Simple circuits feature a switch, lamp and battery. When you flick the switch, electricity can then flow around the circuit, but if there’s a break somewhere in the circuit (such as if there’s a broken wire), the lamp won’t turn on.

Understanding how electricity works and where it comes from can help you prioritise electrical safety at home. It can be very easy to forget how powerful it is and how dangerous it can be, but knowing what danger signs to look out for, what to avoid and what needs to be changed can help prevent injury and death.

If you see any damaged electrical cables, for example, make sure that you replace or repair them as appropriate. Don’t run any cables underneath your rugs or furniture, as they can overheat and could potentially cause a fire.

Also avoid overloading any sockets. This is one of the most common causes of domestic electrical fires so as a good rule of thumb only plug one heat-producing appliance into an extension lead at any one time - and always check to make sure that your sockets are cold to the touch.

If you’d like any further help or advice relating to your electrical systems, get in touch with the Volt East team today.