what is electric energy

Electrical energy is the presence and flow of an electric charge. The energy portion of electricity is found in a variety of phenomena such as static electricity, electromagnetic fields and lightning. Humans have found the ability to harness these phenomena and store the electrical charge for later use. The concept of electrical energy is defined using a variety of different terminologies such as charge, current and potential.

Electrical energy is the result of the interaction of subatomic particles with electromagnetic force. Within an atom, electrons and protons create a charge. This charge can be transferred between bodies using direct contact with a conductive material like a wire.

The current refers to the movement of the charge. With direct current, this occurs when the electricity is stored in a battery and travels in one direction out of the battery. Alternating current occurs when the current changes direction repeatedly within an electrical system. The alternating current form is usually used to power larger objects such as residences and buildings.

Electrical potential is essential to the range and power of electric energy. When an electric charge exists within an object, a force is exerted from its electrical field. This accelerates the object in a direction either towards or away from the charge, depending on the electromagnetic polarization. Generally, positively-charged electricity pushes the object away, while negatively-charged electricity pulls the object towards the field.
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Electrical energy can be generated using a variety of means. The burning of fossil fuels or the heat from nuclear reactions produces steam that powers a generator which, in turn, creates electricity. Otherwise, kinetic energy extracted from either wind or water can power similar generators. All of these methods require a transformer that modifies the electrical energy into a higher voltage with lower current. Different methods of storing this energy include capacitors and batteries.

The oldest known civilization that understood electrical energy were the Ancient Egyptians. Texts from 2750 BC refer to the “Thunderer of the Nile” and define the shocks of electric fish. Knowledge and study of the fish continued through the millennia with Greek, Roman and Arab scholars. Pliny the Elder and Scribonius Largus researched the numbing effects of electric shocks. In addition, a number of Arab scientists determined the same phenomena caused lightning.

Until 1600, much of the understanding of electricity as an energy source was purely intellectual. William Gilbert, an English physician, studied electricity and magnetism. A number of other researchers continued the study including Otto von Guericke, Robert Boyle and Benjamin Franklin. By the 1800s, scientists such as Alessandro Volta had identified a way to harness electricity into a battery format. This was perfected throughout the years by engineers such as Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison.