Top 20 Electricity Facts for Kids

  1. Lightning, static electricity, and bioelectricity are all naturally occurring electricity.
  2. Electricity travels at the speed of light (nearly 300,000km per second).
  3. A lightning bolt can measure 3,000,000 volts and can reach temperatures of 30,000°C. This is five times hotter than the surface of the sun!
  4. Electric eels have an electrical current of about 500V for protection and hunting.
  5. Electricity makes the muscles in our heart contract. This causes the heart to pump blood around our bodies.
  6. The human body conducts electricity! For example, nerves in our bodies carry small electrical currents. These electrical currents send messages to different parts of our bodies.
  7. Electric cars are becoming much more popular. The sale of electric vehicles in the UK increased by 20% in 2018.
  8. There are over eight million lightning strikes across the world every day.
  9. Geothermal power uses the earth’s internal heat to generate electricity.
  10. Iceland uses more electricity, per person, than any other country in the world. Much of this electricity comes from geothermal energy – a renewable energy source.
  11. There are two types of electric charges, positive and negative. Two positive controls and two negative charges repel each other, whereas one positive and one negative attract each other.
  12. Everything we touch is made up of tiny particles called atoms. They contain protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons carry a positive charge, whereas electrons have a negative control.
  13. Atoms are generally electrically neutral, but if an atom loses an electron, it becomes a positively charged ion. If an atom gains an electron, it becomes a negatively charged ion.
  14. When electrons build up, and there is no circuit for them to move around, it creates static electricity. This makes your hair stand up if you touch it with a balloon!
  15. Denmark is building the world’s first energy island full of wind turbines to provide energy and electricity to around three million homes.
  16. There are many ways to generate electricity. Wind, hydro, and solar power are sustainable ways to produce electricity.
  17. Lightening bolts are only about 3 cm in width, although they look much bigger! The bolts can reach a length of about 3 miles.
  18. The echidna (or spiney ant eater) and the duck-billed platypus have electroreceptors on their snouts. These receptors detect electrical currents and mean the animal can burrow underground with its eyes closed and still be able to find its prey!
  19. The honeybee flaps its wings so quickly that it can create an electrical charge. When the honeybee pollinates a flower, the electrical amount is transferred. Other bees can detect this electrical charge and know to visit another flower instead!
  20. The author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, was inspired to write the monster’s story based on the idea that electricity could restart life.
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