Have you ever wondered how flipping a light switch makes a light come on to light up a room? How about what causes lightning when it is about to rain or during a rain storm?

It is not magic or a really good trick. It is a type of energy called electricity. Electricity is caused by electrons. Electrons circle around the outer edges of atoms and atoms are the smallest part of all things. The electricity that causes a light to come on and the electricity that causes lightning are two different types of electricity.  The two different types of electricity are called static electricity and current electricity. 

When energy builds up in one place it is called static electricity. Static means to stay in one place. This is the type of electricity that causes lightning. The rubbing of the electrons of the rain clouds against the air as they move through the sky builds up a huge electric charge. When the charge is released, it jumps to Earth as a bolt of lightning. Static electricity can also be made and felt if a person were to rub their feet across a rug 20 to 30 times and touch a door knob. The electrons are simply transferred from one object or place to another. 

When energy flows from one place to another it is called current electricity. That means that electrons are moving and not in one place. It is current electricity that is used with the light switch to turn on a light to light up a room. Current electricity is produced when free moving electrons are guided along a path through cables and wires that allow the electricity to flow easily an electric power company to a home.

The wires in a home that are behind the walls and in the ceiling guide the electrons to the light bulb socket and any other devices that are plugged into electrical wall sockets. The wall and light sockets are what pushes the electrons to the light bulb or plugged in device.

Current electricity for a home is made at a power station and is then pushed to homes. Most of these stations use water or burning coal. Coal is used to heat water into a steam that is caught in pipes and around large copper –filled tubes that have spinning blades. When the blades spin, they create a magnetic field that creates current electricity. The current electricity then flows from the power station through electric power cable to your home.