ELECTRICITY & ELECTRIC CHARGE

Electricity is the condition or ability for generating or exciting electrons. The basic component of electricity is the electric charge. Electric charge (q) is produced by the electron, and its unit is the coulomb.

One coulomb of electric charge contains or is equal to 6.25 x 10¹⁸ electrons. That means that one electron carries only a charge of 1.6 x 10^-19 coulomb.

Electric charges are of 2 types: positive (+) and negative (-). The positive and negative charges are referred as polarities. For example, a regular electric battery has 2 poles, with opposite polarities. Other units or elements within an electrical circuit have opposite polarities.

The generation of a particular type of polarity depends on the conditions for excitement of the electrons. As negative polarity is produced or is present at the end of an element, positive polarity is generated or is present at its opposite end.

Other basic components of electricity are: Voltage, Current andResistance . You can read or learn about them in other sections of this lecture series.