definition of electricity

Electricity is the word we use to describe all sorts of electrical activity including:

• bolts of lightning we see during thunder storms
  
  
• static electricity we generate when we brush our hair on a frosty morning
  
  
• the electrical energy we use to power our homes

175 years ago, a scientist called Michael Faraday discovered that he could generate electrical energy by moving a piece of wire between the ends of a magnet. He also discovered that he could move this energy from one place to another along a wire.

Thanks to Michael Faraday, we now use electrical energy at home in a hundred different ways.

educational resources for KS3

• what is electricity?
• what do we use it for?
• using electrical energy
• why we need power stations
• generating electricity
• moving electricity around
• electricity networks animation
• spot the danger game
• why electricity can be dangerous
• staying safe around electricity

• If you have any questions about this page, please contact Victoria Richardson: victoria.richardson @ energynetworks.org

• Back to KS3 homepage