What Is eleCtrICal energy Energy is another word for power Without energy machines would not be able to work Plants and animals would not be able to live and grow There are many different forms of energy Heat and light are examples of energy you can find in the world Another form of energy that most people are familiar with is electrical energy or electricity It is very important to people Without electrical energy we would not have many Energy is required for all sorts of things For example our bodies need energy to run 4
conveniences From lightbulbs to televisions electrical energy powers all sorts of things Electricity can be formed using machines but it is also found in nature A bolt of lightning is electrical energy that is suddenly released in the atmosphere People often use devices that are powered by electrical energy in their daily lives Think About It Before lightbulbs were invented people used fire to see in the dark What forms of energy are released from fire 5
eleCtrICal energy at Its Core Electrical energy is associated with the tiny building blocks of matter called atoms Everything in the universe is made up of atoms At the center of an atom is a nucleus The nucleus consists of particles called protons and neutrons Protons carry a positive electrical charge and neutrons carry no electrical charge Surrounding the nucleus is a cloud of particles called electrons Electrons carry a negative electrical charge All things that take up space are made up of tiny particles called atoms 6
Power lines are used to move electricity from one place to another over great distances They constantly travel in circular paths around the nucleus Sometimes electrons from one atom will move to another atom The moving electrons are electricity Scientists now understand how to cause electrons to move and how to control where electrons travel Today electricity can be formed and then delivered across small and great distances Compare and Contrast What do protons have in common with electrons and neutrons In what ways are they different 7
