Many reference books claim that electricity is a type of energy and that electric current is a flow of energy, however, this isn’t exactly correct.
Yes, electrical energy does exist, but this energy can’t be called “Electricity,” since Coulombs of electricity are very different from Joules of electromagnetic energy. Energy and charge are two different things, so they can’t both be electricity.
The contradiction lies in the definition of the word “electricity”. Scientists have defined electricity as the matter that flows through a wire. The electrons flowing through the wire are referred to as a quantity of electricity, and the flow of electricity is referred to as “an electric current.”
Most people refer to electricity in a completely different way, they use the word “electricity” to describe electrical energy. Electric companies, textbooks written for students in grades K-6, dictionaries and encyclopedias all use this definition to describe electricity.
Physicists have continuously tried to clarify that the charges of electricity are not energy, and that a flow of charges is not a flow of energy. In regards to the definition of “electricity” used by all non-scientists, an electric current is not a flow of electricity.
Most scientists through history, including Ben Franklin, Michael Faraday, James C. Maxwell and Robert Millikan have all accepted the same definition of electricity. Electricity is the positive and negative matter that’s found in all electrons and protons. It is the substance that flows along inside wires. The flow of electricity is called “charge of electricity by these same scientists. They also claim that the electrons and protons are “particles of electricity.
Other facts about electricity
- In regards to DC circuit, the electricity flows exceedingly slower through wires, at just inches per minute, whereas electrical energy flows at close to the speed of light.
- Even if you know the precise amount of electricity flowing per second through a wire (the Amperes), then you still won’t be able to calculate the amount of energy being delivered to a light bulb per second.
- In an electric circuit, the flow of the electricity is measured in Coulombs per second. The flow of energy is measured in Joules per second.
- Electrical energy is electromagnetism, which is composed of an electromagnetic field. To the contrary, the particles of electricity flowing within a wire has little resemblance to an electromagnetic field.
- If you reverse the polarity of voltage in an electric circuit containing coils while the direction of the flowing electricity remains the same, then the direction of the flowing energy does not follow the direction of the flowing electricity.
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