How is electric current created?

Answer 1

Current is the flow of electrons through a conducting substance. Each electron carries an electric charge - so as electrons pass through a substance, such as a metal, then we say an electric current (made up of the electric charges that each electron carries) passes through that substance. We measure current in amperes, often calls "amps". Voltage refers to the potential difference of the electric charge across a boundary or between two points. So if we were to have a high accumulation of electrons in one place (lets say on the ground), and not very many electrons in another place (say in a cloud), then we would say there is a potential charge, or a voltage that we can measure between those two points. Electrons repel each other, and they are attracted to areas where there is a deficiency of electrons. So the force of the electrons trying to move away from other electrons, and towards areas of fewer electrons, is the voltage, and the actual flow of these electrons is the current. Think of electricity like the water in a hose. The water pressure is the voltage - it makes the drops of water flow through the hose. As the pressure increases, so does the flow. Similarly in electricity, as the voltage increases, so does the current. Resistance, measured in ohms, measures how much a substance opposes the flow of electricity. Think of a nozzle at the end of our hose. As we open the nozzle, the resistance to the water flow goes down, and more water flows out the end of the hose. As we close the nozzle, less water flows out the end of the hose, even thought the water pressure remains the same. The same holds true in electricity - as the resistance increases, the current goes down, and as the resistance decreases, the current goes up. Some materials, like copper, have very low resistance, meaning electricity flows through it very easily, and that is why we use copper wires to carry electricity. Some materials, like plastic, has very high resistance, and that is why we use a plastic coating around the copper wire to insulate the copper, and thus keep the flow of electricity away from our body. So now we have everything we need to understand current: 1. Current is the flow of electrons through a substance. 2. Current is driven by voltage - the higher the voltage, the higher the current. 3. Current is reduced by resistance - the higher the resistance, the lower the current.

Answer 2

Current is the FLOW of electricity, there has to be a path in the form of a conductor for it to follow. Someone could create the current by building a circuit using wires, a battery, and a light.

Answer 3

Connect one end of a piece of wire to a battery terminal and the other end to the other terminal. The ends of the wire become oppositely charged and the electrons in the wire flow along it towards the positive terminal. This causes the chemicals in the battery to change and eventually they will all be changed and the battery will be flat. It will then be unable to keep the ends of the wire oppositely charged and the current will stop.

Or you could connect the wire to the terminals of a generator. The laws of magnetism will cause the generator - when it's turned - to charge the ends of the wire oppositely and a current will flow. But only while the generator is turning, because as soon as the electrons move down the wire they neutralise the charge, which must be replaced to keep the current flowing.