How Electricity Flows
Wire works much like a garden hose, but instead of conveying water, it conveys electricity from one location to another. When you turn on a hose faucet, water entering from the spigot pushes on water already in the hose, which pushes water out the other end. Electricity flows in much the same way. An electron flows in one end of the wire, which knocks an electron, which in turn knocks another electron, until an electron eventually comes out the other end. The water analogy can be used to describe the other elements of electricity. To get water to flow, we need water pressure. To get electricity to flow, we need electrical pressure.
Electrical pressure, or voltage, can be provided
from either an electrical utility or a battery. And just as greater water pressure means more water flow, higher voltages provide greater electrical flow. This flow is called “current.” With both water and electricity, the diameter of the hose or wire limits what you get out of it in a given amount of time. This flow restriction is referred to as “resistance.”
from either an electrical utility or a battery. And just as greater water pressure means more water flow, higher voltages provide greater electrical flow. This flow is called “current.” With both water and electricity, the diameter of the hose or wire limits what you get out of it in a given amount of time. This flow restriction is referred to as “resistance.”
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