Electricity and Power
Atoms are composed of a nucleus which contains both protons (which possesses a positive charge) and neutrons (which possesses a neutral charge).
Circling around the nucleus are electrons (which possesses a negative charge).
Remember: the quantity of protons is the same as the quantity of electrons to be a stable atom.
Electrons float around the nucleus in “orbits’ just as the planets and the sun do due to the law of charges: like charges repel, and unlike charges attract.
Each of these orbits can only contain a certain amount of electrons. When there are too many electrons for the first orbit, more are created to hold the extra electrons.
The outermost orbit of a nucleus is called a valence shell. This is the weakest orbit of any atom because it is the furthest from the nucleus.
Metals, such as copper, are good conductors of electricity because they are complex atoms (meaning many protons and electrons - and have a weak valence shell).
Electricity flows by electrons moving from one atom to another - “jumping” from one orbit to another.
The unit of measurement for this electrical flow is ampere (amps).
This difference is called potential and is measured in volts.
This animation happens to be an example of a “short circuit”. With no load in it’s path, the electricity would flow very quickly, potentially catching fire or burning out. Loads will be covered in the next segment.
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