How does electricity work? I can't see electricity. Is it just a theory?

Answer 1

Turn on the lights in theory.

Answer 2

Well, since you don't know about electricity, I'm assuming you don't know much about atoms either, so I'll explain it to you. Everything in the universe is made up of atoms, which are made of sub-atomic particles. Among these are electrons, which have a negative magnetic charge (you have seen magnets work, right?). Anyways, when you connect a positive power source to one end of something, and a negative to the other, the magnetic forces make the electrons move through the wire. This is electricity. Electricity is NOT just a theory. It has been a proven fact for hundreds of years. How do you think the computer you're looking at right now is working?

Answer 3

Electricity is a flow of electrons through a conductive material, typically a metal. From what I remember from school, it works by setting up a situation where you have one point that has too many electrons which is connected by a conductive material to another point which has too few electrons. Electrons flow from the place with too much electrons to the place with few electrons, this is electricity.

Or something.

You may not be able to see electricity, but you can certainly feel it. You may as well argue that sound doesn't exist, because you can't see it. Also, although it's not technically electricty you're seeing, you can see lightening and sparks.

I get the impression that I'm responding to some surreal form of satirical trolling though.

Answer 4

No, Jim it is not a theory. Basically it is electron flow, kinda like water out of a garden hose-kinda. When you try to put two magnets together you can feel the magnetic field, whether n/s attraction, or s/s/-n/n repulsion. They make electricity by cutting that magnetic field-or lines of flux.
Electricity behaves in a certain way. It can be measured and predicted. It is not a theory-its a fact.

Answer 5

Electrical current can be generated by means of moving wire through a magnetic field. This applies both to alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) electricity. This is different than the DC created by a battery, which uses chemical reactions. It is also different than static electricity, which is the accumulation of charges on a surface.

Answer 6

Electricity can be seen, thunderstorms are an example.

Wet your hands and open up any lamp post, they should have a little door at some point that can be forced, and play with a few cables; you'll see that electricity can also be felt.

Answer 7

Yeah it's just a theory. But it still hurts. I got shocked the other day, there was short in the freakin insinkerator over at Julie's house, and I leaned on the counter and felt the buzz cause my hand was wet and I was barefoot.
Yeah it's just a theory, but it still hurts. I have a theory too: Julie should replace that stupid thing.

Answer 8

I believe there are more than one theory involved in electricity.Most are no longer theory as they have been sufficiently proved.
Electrons are easily excited and can be encouraged to flow similar to water only currant flows in both directions.It is this flow that is electricity easily shown by static conduction.

Answer 9

No, you can't normally see it directly (except maybe lightning) abd the theory behind electricity is just that. We can see what it does, and theorise why it does it but we can't be sure about the physics of it

Answer 10

how about you go grab a live power line and then tell me electricity is just a theory

Answer 11

electricity involves the movement of electrons from one atom to another. Just because you dont see something, it doesn't mean that it isn't there just like wind ;)