Electricity

Electricity (from the Greek word ἤλεκτρον, (elektron), meaning amber, and finally from New Latin ēlectricus, "amber-like") is a general term that encompasses a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena such as lightning and static electricity, but in addition, less familiar concepts such as the electromagnetic field and electromagnetic induction.

However, in scientific usage, the term is vague, and these related, but distinct, concepts are better identified by more precise terms:

* Electric charge – a property of some subatomic particles, which determines their electromagnetic interactions. Electrically charged matter is influenced by, and produces, electromagnetic fields.
* Electric current – a movement or flow of electrically charged particles, typically measured in amperes.
* Electric field – an influence produced by an electric charge on other charges in its vicinity.
* Electric potential – the capacity of an electric field to do work, typically measured in volts.
* Electromagnetism – a fundamental interaction between the magnetic field and the presence and motion of an electric charge.
Electric charge is a property of certain subatomic particles, which gives rise to and interacts with, the electromagnetic force, one of the four fundamental forces of nature. Charge originates in the atom, in which its most familiar carriers are the electron and proton. It is a conserved quantity, that is, the net charge within an isolated system will always remain constant regardless of any changes taking place within that system.[15] Within the system, charge may be transferred between bodies, either by direct contact, or by passing along a conducting material, such as a wire.[16] The informal term static electricity refers to the net presence (or 'imbalance') of charge on a body, usually caused when dissimilar materials are rubbed together, transferring charge from one to the other.