What is electricity?

Electricity!

What is it, and what uses it?

There are many sources of electricity such as:

Fossil fuels: coal, oil and wood.

Electricity is a kind of energy. It is made in power stations. Electricity is also made in batteries.

How do you think electricity is connected to our homes?

The electricity produced in power stations is carried through wires into buildings. This is called mains electricity and we can connect to it by using a plug.

Inside a battery are two different chemicals. When you put a battery into an appliance a circuit is made.

The two chemicals begin to change into new chemicals. As they change an electrical current flows along the circuit making the appliance work.

Lots of things use electricity around your home

We call these appliances.

Electricity can come from a socket We call this mains electricity

A television uses mains electricity We know this because it comes from a plug in the wall.

Electricity can also come from a battery A torch uses a battery We know this because it works without being plugged into the wall.

Can you think of any other appliances that use mains electricity?

Can you think of any other appliances that use batteries?

What does this use?

What does this use?

What does this use?

What does this use?

What does this use?

What does this use?

What does this use?