Basic Electricity
Basic Electricity
Electricity is defined as the movement of electrons from one atom to another. In order to understand electricity a basic explanation of the atom is needed.
All matter is made up of molecules. An atom is the smallest particle to which a molecule can be reduced.
Atoms consist of:
Electrons - Negatively charged particles orbiting around a nucleus.
Protons - Positively charged particles in the nucleus.
Neutrons - Uncharged particles in the nucleus that stabilize the protons.
An atom is balanced or displays a neutral charge when the number of protons and electrons are equal.
Through various means (e.g. A chemical reaction in the the automotive battery) electrons are displaced from their normal orbit.
These displaced electrons attach themselves to other atoms, creating an unbalance in the number of electrons and protons in both atoms.
Atoms which loose or repel an electron become positively charged because of the greater number of protons. These atoms are called "Positive Ions".
Atoms which pickup or gain extra electrons become negatively charged and are called "Negative Ions".
The negative ions will attempt to repel the extra electron and the positive ions will attempt to attract it.
The movement of free electrons from one atom to another is called electron flow or electric current flow.
This flow of electrons does not mean that a single electron travels the entire length of the wire.
Electron flow is the movement of free electrons from atom to atom and the transmission of an electrical impulse from one end of a conductor to the other.
The constant unbalancing and rebalancing of the atoms takes place in less than one millionth of a second.
Electromotive Force
Friction, light, heat, pressure, chemical reaction or magnetic action are all ways that electrons are freed. The tree electrons will move away from the "Electron Moving Force" (EMF). A stream of tree electrons form an electrical current.
The battery and the generator are the primary and secondary means by which free electrons are generated in automobiles.
The chemical reaction taking place in the battery creates an Electromotive Force (EMF) that provides us with the positive ions and negative ions.
The generator through magnetic induction is our other source of free electrons. (Positive and negative ions)
The positive ions collect at the positive battery terminal and the negative ions collect at the negative battery terminal.
The positive and negative ions provide no energy unless a path between them is established. This path is normally in the form of a load (e.g. bulb, electric motor or other electrical consumer) placed across the positive and negative terminals of the battery either directly or through wires.
Free electrons are pushed out of the battery negative terminal through a conductor to the positive terminal.
When a path is established electrons have a route from the negative terminal to the positive terminal of the battery.
That route may take the electrons through wires, motors, light bulbs or other electrical consumers.
The mission of the electrons is always to return to the source of their energy which is the battery.
The movement of electrons as discussed in the preceding pages is referred to as the "Theory of Electron Flow". That is the actual path of the electrons in an electrical circuit, from negative to positive.
Before Science gave a glimpse of the electron, it was generally believed that electricity (electrons) flowed from the positive charge to the negative charge.
Most electrical symbols, wiring diagrams, and teaching is based on the "Conventional Theory of Electron Flow" which states that electrons flow from positive to negative.
From this point on all references to current flow will be defined by the Conventional Theory of Electron Flow.
Voltage
The potential of the electrons to flow is measured in Volts.
Think of voltage as pressure, the driving force (pressure) pushing the electrons from positive to negative.
"One volt is the potential difference required to push one mAmp of current through one Ohm of resistance."
Voltage is present between two points when a positive charge exists at one point and a negative charge at the other point.
The amount of voltage available is dependent on the number of ions at each terminal of the battery.
Voltage is the difference in the potential charges between the positive and negative terminals in a battery. If one volt is capable of pushing 'x" amount of current, two volts can push 2x, three volts 3x and so on.
Ampere
The unit of measure for current flow is the "Ampere", commonly referred to as "Amps".
Amps is the counting of electrons flowing on a conductor past a given point. One amp of current flow is equal to 6.23 billion billion (6.23 x 10(18)) electrons moving past a point in one second.
Amps allow you to measure the volume of electrical energy "amperes" flowing through a wire or electrical consumer.
Ohms
The "Resistance" of a circuit opposes current flow The unit of measure for resistance is the "Ohm".
One ohm is defined as the amount of resistance that will allow one amp to flow when being pushed by one volt of pressure.
Resistance slows the flow of current (reduces the number of electrons flowing).
Resistance changes electrical energy into another form of energy (e.g. heat, light or motion).
