What is Electricity?

In your home, electricity runs the lights, television, toaster and more. It's hard to even imagine what your life would be like without it.

It's easy to see what electricity does for us, but what is electricity? Electricity is a form of energy. Energy is the power to do and move things and to make things work.

Electricity begins with atoms. Atoms are tiny particles that are too small to see. Atoms make up everything around us.

An atom has three tiny parts: protons, neutrons and electrons. The center of the atom (nucleus) contains protons and neutrons. Electrons travel around the nucleus at high speed.

Electricity can be created by forcing electrons to move from atom to atom. An outside force, called voltage, pushes these electrons. This movement of electrons is what we call electricity.

We have found many ways to harness electrical power and use it in our daily lives.