What Exactly is Electricity, and How Can It Hurt You?
Electricity is one of the great conveniences of our time and has become a necessity in our busy
modern world. But aside from knowing that Ben Franklin discovered that lightning is made up of
electricity, few people really understand what it is.
When people have a basic understanding of how electricity works, it’s easier for them to recognize
the steps they can take to reduce the potential dangers. To understand electricity, you need to know
some very basic science. Everything around us is made up of atoms, which are particles that are so
small that they can’t be seen. Every atom is actually a group of even smaller particles, and one of
those particles is called the electron. When electrons move from one location to another, their
movement creates the energy that we call electricity.
Henry County REMC points to Ben Franklin’s discovery as an example. During a storm, the clouds
are filled with extra electrons. When a group of them finds a path from the cloud to the ground, the
energy from their movement is seen as a bright flash that we call lightning. Getting a spark from a
doorknob after walking on a carpeted floor is a much smaller example of the same process. The
friction of walking across the carpet creates extra electrons in your body, and when they jump to the
doorknob, you see and feel the spark caused by their movement.
So how can these little electrons actually hurt people or damage property? The more electrons that
move, the greater the amount of energy they give off. In addition to producing very bright light, that
energy can also give off a substantial amount of heat, which explains why electrical shocks often burn
people and why lightning strikes can set trees and buildings on fire.
The movement of all those electrons can have a significant effect on other electrons. The human
body’s nervous system is actually an electrical system. Our nerves are basically a grid that carries
electric messages all around our body. If we step on a nail, they send an electrical message to the
brain that we’re in pain, and the brain sends an electrical message to our hands so we remove the
nail. But if the body receives a huge, unexpected burst of extra electrons, it can disrupt that entire
process. An electrical shock can disrupt the signals from the brain that tell the heart to beat, so it
stops. If that happens and the heart doesn’t get another signal to resume beating, the person will die.
Even when electric shocks do not kill people, they can cause everything from muscle spasms to
breathing problems.
Knowing how electrons move is the key to protecting yourself. Electrons always want to move from a
source to the ground and they will find the fastest route. If a material allows that travel to happen
easily, we call it a conductor, because it conducts the flow of electricity. Steel and copper are great
conductors. So is water, and since the human body is mostly water, the body becomes a very
effective conductor. If you touch a source of electricity and a connection to the ground at the same
time, electricity will flow through you.
This explains why birds can sit on live power lines without injury. Although they’re in contact with a
source of electricity, they’re not touching a connection to the ground, so no electricity will flow through
them. However, if a large bird manages to touch both a live wire and a ground wire at the same time,
it will receive a fatal shock.
Electrical workers, such as Henry County REMC employees, wear special clothing and boots made
from materials that don’t conduct electricity well. They also use tools that are designed to block the
flow of electricity. Always leave electrical repairs to people who have been trained to recognize the
dangers and know how to protect themselves.
SOURCES:
Electrical Safety Foundation International, Pacific Gas & Electric, Salt River Project