Basics of Electricity: Electricity is Not Magic!

Perhaps the one reason it is difficult to understand electricity is that its action is not usually seen. By knowing what it is and what it is not , you can easily understand it. Electricity is not magic! It is something that takes place or can take place in everything you know. It not only provides power for lights, TVs, stereos, and refrigerators, it is also the basis for the communications between our brain and the rest of our bodies.

Electricity is the flow of electrons from one atom to another.

The effects of electricity can be seen, felt, heard, and smelled. One of the most common displays of electricity is a lightning bolt. Lightning is electricity—a large amount of electricity! The power of lightning is incredible. Other than lightning, electricity is not normally seen because
it is the movement of extremely small objects that move at the speed of light (186,282.397 miles [299,792,458 meters] per second).

Flow of Electricity
Electricity is the result of the flow of electrons from one atom to another. The release of energy as one electron leaves the orbit of one atom and jumps into the orbit of another is electrical energy. The key to creating electricity is to provide a reason for the electrons to move to another atom.
There is a natural attraction of electrons to protons. Electrons have a negative charge and are attracted to something with a positive charge. When an electron leaves the orbit of an atom, the atom then has a positive charge. This is caused by a hole left open by the exiting electron. An electron moves from one atom to another because the atom next to it appears to be more positive than the one it is orbiting around.
An electrical power source provides for a more positive charge and, to allow for a continuous flow of electricity, it supplies free electrons. To have a continuous flow of electricity, three things must be present: an excess of electrons in one place, a lack of electrons in another place, and a path between the two places.
Two power or energy sources are used in an automobile’s electrical system. These are based on a chemical reaction and magnetism. Magnetism is produced by the controlled movement of electrons. Magnetism is used to generate electricity in many automotive systems.
A car’s battery is a source of chemical energy. The chemical reaction in a battery provides for an excess of electrons in one place and a lack of electrons in another. Batteries have two terminals, a positive and a negative. Basically, the negative terminal is the outlet for the electrons and the positive is the inlet for the electrons. The chemical reaction in a battery causes a lack of electrons at the positive (+) terminal and an excess at the negative (–) terminal. This creates an electrical imbalance, causing the electrons to flow from one terminal to the other through the path connecting the two terminals.

An automotive battery.

This chemical process continues to provide electrons until the chemicals become weak. At that time, either the battery has run out of electrons or all the protons are mated with an electron. When this happens, there is no longer a reason for the electrons to move to the positive side of the battery, as it no longer looks more positive. Fortunately, the vehicle’s charging system restores the battery’s supply of electrons. This allows the chemical reaction to continue indefinitely.
Electricity and magnetism are interrelated. One can be used to produce the other. Moving a wire (a conductor) through an already existing magnetic field (such as a permanent magnet) can produce electricity. This process of producing electricity through magnetism is called induction . The heart of a vehicle’s charging system is the AC generator. A magnetic field, driven by the crankshaft via a drive belt, rotates through a coil of wire, producing electricity.
Electricity is also produced by photoelectrical, thermoelectrical, and piezoelectrical reactions. These technologies are used by many of the sensors found in today’s automobiles.

A late-model generator.