Electricity Basics

Electricity starts with electrons. If you have read How Atoms Work, you know that every atom contains one or more electrons. You also know that electrons have a negative charge.

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Simplest model of an atom

In many materials, the electrons are tightly bound to the atoms. Wood, glass, plastic, ceramic, air, cotton ... These are all examples of materials in which electrons stick with their atoms. Because the electrons don't move, these materials cannot conduct electricity very well, if at all. These materials are electrical insulators.

But most metals have electrons that can detach from their atoms and move around. These are called free electrons. Gold, silver, copper, aluminum, iron, etc., all have free electrons. The loose electrons make it easy for electricity to flow through these materials, so they are known as electrical conductors. They conduct electricity. The moving electrons transmit electrical energy from one point to another.

Electricity needs a conductor in order to move. There also has to be something to make the electricity flow from one point to another through the conductor. One way to get electricity flowing is to use a generator.