The Basics of Electricity

All matter is made up of atoms. They are the building blocks that create everything in the universe. When electrons move between atoms – that's electricity.

An atom is made up of even smaller particles. The atom’s nucleus contains protons and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge and neutrons are neutral. Orbiting the nucleus are negatively charged electrons. Due to their opposite charges, protons and electrons attract each other, but a limited number of electrons can only fit into certain orbits, or energy levels. So, the electrons cannot just fall into the protons and make neutrons but must remain in a shell around the nucleus. In conductive materials such as metals, the electrons in the outer shell are weakly bound and can easily move between atoms. When an electric field is applied, the electrons move. The moving electrons are electricity that can be channelled in a wire to drive motors, light bulbs, etc.