History of electricity

Electricity is a form of energy and it occurs in nature, so it was not “invented.” As to who discovered it, many misconceptions abound. Some give credit to Benjamin Franklin for discovering electricity, but his experiments only helped establish the connection between lightning and electricity, nothing more.
The truth about the discovery of electricity is a bit more complex than a man flying his kite. It actually goes back more than two thousand years.

In about 600 BC, the Ancient Greeks discovered that rubbing fur on amber (fossilized tree resin) caused an attraction between the two – and so what the Greeks discovered was actually static electricity. Additionally, researchers and archeologists in the 1930’s discovered pots with sheets of copper inside that they believe may have been ancient batteries meant to produce light at ancient Roman sites. Similar devices were found in archeological digs near Baghdad meaning ancient Persians may have also used an early form of batteries.

A replica and diagram of one of the ancient electric cells (batteries) found near Bagdad.

But by the 17th century, many electricity-related discoveries had been made, such as the invention of an early electrostatic generator, the differentiation between positive and negative currents, and the classification of materials as conductors or insulators. In the year 1600, English physician William Gilbert used the Latin word “electricus” to describe the force that certain substances exert when rubbed against each other. A few years later another English scientist, Thomas Browne, wrote several books and he used the word “electricity” to describe his investigations based on Gilbert’s work.

BEN FRANKLIN

                                                        

In 1752, Ben Franklin conducted his experiment with a kite, a key, and a storm. This simply proved that lightning and tiny electric sparks were the same thing. Italian physicist Alessandro Volta discovered that particular chemical reactions could produce electricity, and in 1800 he constructed the voltaic pile (an early electric battery) that produced a steady electric current, and so he was the first person to create a steady flow of electrical charge. Volta also created the first transmission of electricity by linking positively-charged and negatively-charged connectors and driving an electrical charge, or voltage, through them.
In 1831 electricity became viable for use in technology when Michael Faraday created the electric dynamo (a crude power generator), which solved the problem of generating electric current in an ongoing and practical way. Faraday’s rather crude invention used a magnet that was moved inside a coil of copper wire, creating a tiny electric current that flowed through the wire. This opened the door to American Thomas Edison and British scientist Joseph Swan who each invented the incandescent filament light bulb in their respective countries in about 1878. Previously, light bulbs had been invented by others, but the incandescent bulb was the first practical bulb that would light for hours on end.

How to save electricity ?

 

 Examples of saving electricity:

Use More Energy-efficient Appliances

If you are shopping for new appliances, make sure to look for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star label before making a purchase. Energy Star appliances use between 10 and 50 percent less energy and water than their conventional counterparts. They may cost more than appliances without the Energy Star designation, but in most cases they will more than make up that additional cost through energy savings.

 

Change Your Light Bulbs

One of the least expensive and most effective changes you can make in your home is replacing your light bulbs. According to Energy Star, one of its qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), which cost just a few dollars, “will save our money . It only uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb.” Although some people are concerned because CFLs contain mercury, Energy Star says that CFLs do not release any mercury when in use, and actually reduce mercury emissions because they lessen the need for electricity from power plants that emit mercury. Learn more at Energy Star’s CFLs and Mercury page. For more energy-efficient lighting, see Bright Ideas for Home Lighting or the Energy Star CFL page.

 

Use Fans for Cooling

During hot weathers,  use stationary, ceiling and whole-house fans to cool your home, reducing the need for air conditioning. As air conditioning used up a lot of electricity and will increase the cost of electrical bills. However, if its during cold seasons , close the fans instead of opening the fans to save electricity.

 Switching off  

If you really want to go all out, have your family use just one or two rooms at night, rather than spreading out all over the house and keeping your entire home lit.For maximum electricity savings, use candles! This old-fashioned system of providing light at night is effective, romantic and peaceful. If you don't find it practical to use candles every night, try doing it just once or twice a week. Be careful doing this with little kids, though - make sure all of your family members know how to handle candles safely.

Unplug appliances when they aren't in use. 

Did you know that appliances that are plugged in keep using energy, even when they're switched off? Even an appliance as small as a coffee pot continues slowly sapping energy every moment it stays plugged in, long after the last cup of coffee has been consumed. Example like power down your computer and unplug it at the end of the day. Computers use a lot of energy, and when they stay plugged in you're wasting both energy and money.Don't leave your TV plugged in all the time. It may seem inconvenient to unplug it when you're finished watching, but the savings are worth the trouble.Unplug your sound system and speakers. These are some of the worst culprits when it comes to sapping extra energy when they aren't in use.And don't forget about small appliances such as phone chargers, kitchen appliances, hair dryers, and anything else you've got that runs on electricity.

Electricity consumption

 

What is electricity consumption ?

Electric energy consumption is the form of energy consumption that uses electric energy.

Usage of electric energy around the world

Nowadays, people around the world used up too much electric energy. In the consumption rate in Industry, China is the highest with 67.8% while in the Commercial and Public Service, Japan is highest with 36.4%. Other than that, for Domestic usage, Saudi Arabia is the highest with 56.9. As a conclusion, China was the highest in energy consumption by using up 5,245,100,000 watt in 2013 while our country,Malaysia was the 31st by using up 93,800,000watt in 2009.

Importance of electricity

 

Electricity is important to life. A vast number of machines which are invented nowadays cannot be operated without it. As a matter of fact, electricity is used mostly in four main areas such as industry, public health, media and transportation.

First of all, electricity plays a vital part in industry. Thanks to the invention of electricity, a lot of equipment has been invented including computers, subways, bulbs,etc.Electricity is the crucial factor in operating most devices. As a matter of fact, we now lighten our lives with electricity, which is inexpensive and friendly-environment.Everything is produced by machines precisely and constantly, saving us a great amount of time and money. Apparently, electricity is used by all walks of life everyday in all aspects. For example, in summer and winter air conditioning systems are used to modify the condition of air inside the building, offices and houses.

Secondly, electricity is essential in our daily transportation. Only with the advent of electricity can people create the traffic light. This is a great contribution to the safety of people on the street. Additionally, because steam engines are now replaced with electric engines, global warming and greenhouse effect are reduced considerably. Obviously, not only the speed is increased but the journey is smoke free, so less pollution are added into the atmosphere just to help to protect the environment.

Besides that, another area in our life on which electricity has a great influence is media both in communication and entertainment. Taking telegraphs and telephones for examples, both of them are common place today and they need electricity to operate. With these devices, we can talk to our friends and family at a great distance or we can even fax to every corner of the world within no time. Similarly, televisions enable everyone to update information around the world and see what is happening at the other side of the globe simultaneously. Needless to say, without these speedy means of communications, many business would come to a halt. More significantly, electricity makes entertainment possible, creating a much more interesting and fascinating world. It can't be denied that books, which are now available everywhere are not only knowledgeable but they are also entertaining. Since the invention of electricity, the number of books and periodicals released has been noticeably increasing. Therefore, the utility of electricity has not only brightened our homes but also our heads.

Finally, electricity is helpful in health services and treatment. Due to electricity, medical technology are improved. In hospitals, surgeons are able to carry operation in a more effective and efficient way. Most of the diseases which used to be fatal in the past cannot kill people now. For instance, X-ray machines enables doctors to take photographs of internal parts of the body so that the surgery and operation are much safer and more accurate.

In a nutshell, the importance of electricity in our daily routine is undeniable.However, the demand for it is increasing because more and more people have access to it. As a result, everyone should make an attempt to reduce the consumption of electricity in family as well as in office by using it more reasonably.