What is Electricity?
The word electricity revolves around charges and it's a form of energy that already exists in nature.Production of electricity through nature and its storage is not possible.Benjamin Franklin has given the credit for the discovery of electricity.Here we are going to see how amazing it is to connect nature with electricity.
Where Can Electricity be Found?
Natural electricity can be found in various forms in our nature. It can be in the form of thunder and lightning and solar storms on earth which helps in the formation of its magnetic field. Some animals have special features of generating electricity which helps in their protection.
Lightning
Usually during heavy rains we hear thunder after seeing the lightning which is the cause of the thunder, this can be explained by the fact that thunder travels at the speed of sound which is roughly 866,000 times slower than the speed of light, thus causing the delay between the two phenomena.Tropical areas are where lightning occurs most frequently. Around the world, there are thought to be 1,800 thunderstorms at any given time. Each day, these storms cause 8 million lightning strikes.
Lightning
Electric Fish
There are fish species that have unique organs that create electrical discharges, including some varieties of rays, eels, and catfish.These discharges are used by them to find items, defend themselves, or paralyze prey.River-dwelling electric eels (Electrophorus electricus) in South America may generate enough electricity to run twelve 40-watt light bulbs.
Electric Fishes
Solar Storm
Every 11 years, the sun's activity increases, generating storms on its surface that affect the Earth's magnetic field. Power transmission systems could experience serious issues as a result of these magnetic storms.
Solar Storm
Animal and Electricity
In the wild, several creatures use electricity to stay alive. Numerous of these creatures may be found in the ocean, where some of them use electricity to detect objects around them (much like sight), while others use it to ward off predators or even go on the hunt.
The electric eel is one of the most well-known electrified creatures. The electric eel has the power to produce a lot of electricity, even enough to kill a person or stun a big horse. Dinner is usually served after the eels swim into a school of fish and discharge a lot of electricity.
Human Harnessed Electricity
Electricity that has been harnessed by humans has been created or made by people. Electric generators are used by people to produce electricity for lighting and other uses. Humans have influence over electricity that has been harnessed.On the radio-frequency (RF) side, antennae for wireless communication are examples of man-made EMF, whereas high-power lines and electric appliances are examples of low-frequency (LF) man-made EMF.Thus human harness electricity by creating various eclectic plants to manage the production and storage of electricity. For example: hydroelectric power plant, nuclear power plant, fossil-fueled power plant, thermal energy power plant, etc
Examples of Human Harnessed Electricity
Hydroelectric Power Plant
A significant renewable energy source that is currently used to generate electricity all over the world is hydroelectric power (HEP). It uses the fundamental principles of physics. Water falling under intense pressure has a lot of kinetic energy. The turbines in a HEP station are turned by the flowing water. The generator transforms the mechanical energy of the turbines into electrical energy via magnetic induction.
Hydroelectric Power Plant
Geothermal Power Plant
These plants are used to generate electricity with the help of geothermal energy.Geothermal power plants come in three primary categories, with the flash cycle being the most prevalent. The amount and temperature of the geothermal resource determine the type of plant to be used. The more valuable a resource is, the less fluid must flow from the ground to use it while it is hotter.
Geothermal Power Plant
Summary
Electricity is all around us.Animals utilize it to defend themselves, shock, or even kill their prey, and even humans use it to communicate with their muscles. We see it in lightning storms.So what we see is electricity even without a complete circuit whereas humans through technology have harnessed electricity which has made our life easy. At present we cannot imagine our life without electricity.
Solved Questions
1. Who has discovered electricity?
Ans: Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity.
2. Write a short note on electric fishes.
Ans: Electric fishes have a natural mechanism to protect themselves from their prey with the help of electric strings produced by their body.
3. Which country generates maximum electricity through nuclear energy?
Ans: USA produces maximum electricity using nuclear energy.
Learning by Doing
Fill in the blanks:
1_______________has discovered electricity.
2. Name an electric fish______
FAQs on Natural Electricity
1. What is a hydroelectric power plant?
A hydroelectric power plant uses water to rotate the turbine that produces electricity. In this type of power plant the water is first heated to produce steam which falls on the turbines and is used to move the turbines which results in the generation of electricity. Thus it is the conversion of hydro energy to mechanical energy and then finally to electricity.
2. Name some electric fishes.
Electric fishes are animals which have the ability to generate electricity, that is convert the chemical energy of their bodies into electrical energies..These discharges are used by them to find items, defend themselves, or paralyze prey. Catfish, Stingrays and eels are few examples of electric fishes.
3. What is human harnessed electricity?
Electricity produced by humans is known as human-harnessed electricity. Some examples of this are, using water and steam to move turbines and generate electricity, or using nuclear power to generate electricity, or using solar energies by using solar panels to generate electricity for fulfilling our own purposes and needs.