ELECTRICAL ENERGY: Invisible Particles and Charges

Of all the forms of energy used by people, electrical energy has the most varied uses. Where does it come from and how does it move? We begin by taking a close look at matter.

All matter is made up of tiny pieces called atoms. Although atoms are very small, they are made up of even smaller particles called protons, neutrons, and electrons. Electrons and protons are charged particles. Neutrons are neutral, or uncharged.

Electrons have a charge which we call negative. Protons have an opposite and equal charge which we call positive. The attraction of positive to negative charges holds the atom together. The protons and neutrons exist at the center of the atom, called the nucleus. Electrons surround the nucleus.

Physics experiments have shown that under special conditions protons and neutrons break down into even smaller elementary particles called quarks, leptons, and bosons. An electron is actually classified as a lepton.

Because electrons exist near the outside of the atom, they are the easiest charged particles to move around. Under familiar, everyday conditions, atoms can lose electrons, pick up extra electrons, or share electrons. The movement of charges creates the phenomenon that we call electricity.

NEXT: Electric Charges