Electricity

Electricity is required to power and run most modern devices, machines, and appliances. Electrical appliances and devices usually convert electricity into some other form of energy, such as mechanical energy (such as in turning a motor to run a washing machine, air conditioner, and many others) and heat energy (such as in a water heater or cooking stove or in a light bulb, which further converts the heat to light).

We see examples of electricity in nature in the form of lightning and static electricity. Under certain circumstances, when two objects come into contact with each other, electrons may move from one object to another, which leaves an excess of positive charge on one material, and an equal negative charge on the other one. When the materials are separated, they retain this charge imbalance. Subsequently, if you touch the object with the excess of positive charge, it gets discharged through your body to the earth, giving you a brief and very minor jolt, which is one form of electricity, known as static electricity.

The electricity that we can use to run appliances is not naturally available and must be generated through some means. There are several fundamental methods to convert other forms of energy into electrical energy. The oldest and still is the most widely used by rotating a magnet inside a coil of wire or rotating a coil of wire around a magnet, which causes the electrons in the wire to flow and create an electrical current. This approach converts kinetic energy (the energy of motion) into electrical energy, and the machines that do this are known as generators.

The mechanical rotation of the magnets can be achieved by placing them in the path of flowing water or air or by using heat energy to generate steam which can then force the rotation.

The other options include the conversion of chemical or light energy to electricity using the effect of chemical reactions. It is how electricity is generated in batteries.

Electricity is generated by large organizations that can install and manage large generators near a source of water or airflow or a heat energy generation source. The generated electricity is then transmitted over wires from the generators to our homes through a complex distribution system.

Electromagnetic Force

A force can be defined as the push or pull on an object that causes it to change its state of rest or uniform motion. There are four fundamental forces in nature, namely Gravitational force, Strong force, Weak force, and Electromagnetic force. These forces prevent the drifting of matter in the universe and help keep it together. Gravitational force is the force that attracts any two pieces of matter in nature. It is an extremely weak force, and therefore its effect is not noticed except at planetary levels. The best known gravitational force that we all experience continuously is gravity. The gravitational force is exerted by the earth on all other objects revolving around and resided in it. Strong and Weak forces are sub-atomic level forces responsible for holding together the nucleus of an atom and for radioactive decay.

This force, which is relevant to the generation of electricity, is generated through an interaction between magnetic and electric fields, which are interrelated. The presence of an electric charge, which can be either positive or negative, that further produces an electric field. And the motion of these electric charges produces a magnetic field. All objects can have both an electric and a magnetic field. However, depending on their composition, the fields may be too weak to have any effect or strong enough to contribute to generating an electromagnetic force.