what happens to electricity when it leaves a house? or does it leave the house?

Question

when elecricity comes into your house and goes round the circuit? -does it go back to the power station or what?
Also why does elecricity have to go in a circuit?

Answer 1

As the excellent answer above explains, alternating current goes back and forth like a pendulum. As another good answer explains, it goes back and forth between your house and a transformer. The transformer is located nearby, perhaps on one of the poles, and uses a magnetic field to reduce the voltage from the high voltage in the transmission lines to the lower voltage used in your house. In the transmission lines, current circulates back and forth between the local transformer and the power station. There are other transformers in sub-stations in between.

Electricity has to go in a circuit because electric current is composed of moving electrons in the wire. The electrons can move between molecules of copper (or aluminum) in the wire, but no electrons are created or lost. An electron that goes from one molecule to another must be immediately replaced by another electron from another molecule. For current to flow, electrons must move around in a circle like a circle of dancing people each holding the hand of the person to the right and left. With AC current, the electron take a step or two to the left and then a step or two to the right. With DC current, the electrons go only in one direction. In either case, they all must move at the same time and none of the members of the circle can lose contact with the ones to the right and left or the current can not flow.

Answer 2

When electrical power is received in the house via electrical circuit ,we have a power flow which is transfered to electrical motors to do work or a resitance device to create heat.
The same elctrical power does not return to the Electrical power station. The reason is that the power that remains in the circuit which returns to the power station is the difference between the power input to the house and the power used inside the house .
An electrical circuit is what is used to transfer electrical power.Without out an electrical generator and transmissionl lines ,there would be no way of transfering electriccal power for house hold usage.

Answer 3

Also for AC (household current) a closed loop has to be there so that current con flow. In single phase current a switch closes the circuit from the "hot" wire (phase) via a device such as a light bulb to the "cold" wire (neutral). This is the part that is in your house. The other half of the loop is outside your house. The "hot" wire is coming from the "hot" side of a transformer, while the "cold" or neutral wire goes back to the "cold" or low side of the transformer. The transformer outside your house is the beginning and end of the closed loop. The low or "cold" side is normally connected to ground via a grounding system, both, at your home and at the transformer site.

Answer 4

AC current from the power station just goes back and forth like a pendulum with a very very short swing, the swing depending on cycles per second. That is the simplest way I can describe it. DC current on the other hand goes in one direction up a wire and then needs to go back to the source on another wire unless it can find a suitable ground. In either case the electricity flows one way, unlike the fast back and forth oscillation of your house AC current.

Answer 5

think of electricity like a wildwater jetstream in a swimming pool. (you know those with rafts that go round and round.) pic of what i mean: http://www.freizeitpark-welt.de/freizeitparks/efteling/fotos/2006/pirana08_preview.jpg

the water is the electricity. it is pumped round the ride, pushing you along with it on the raft. if the ride was not a circle. the water would not have anywhere to go at the end of the ride. and you wouldnt be able to pump it round. on top of that, you can also have a lot of water in the ride, without it, or you on the raft going anywhere.

the same happens in an electric cirquit. electricity, is the force floating you round hte ride. not the amount of water in rides track. if the track would not be round, the electrons (water) would have nowhere to go. and they wouldnt not have any force behind htem as they flow (or not.)

The force that actually enters your house, is used by the machine, so all youre left with is hte water (that still flows, only with less rapid)

this only applies to direct current. alternating current, like that oming out of the socket. is a slightly different story. it has the same closed track. but the water gets pumped back and forth fast. it changes direction 50 times per second.

Answer 6

It does not leave your house. Think of electricity like the water coming to your house. It is just sitting there waiting for you to use it. Once you turn something on, the electricity flows into the device and is used.