Do you recall being in a science class and learning about electricity?
Just the thought of electricity made many nervous, while others were intrigued. The teacher then brought out wires, batteries, light bulbs, and wire cutters. This lesson taught us about electrical currents, which was demonstrated by connecting the now stripped wires to the batteries, in a circle, and then adding in the light bulb into the circuit.
What happened next? The light bulb became lit, and excitement filled the classroom of elementary school students.
Now did you ever wonder why you were not shocked by touching the “exposed” wires?
Well, for one thing, the battery that was used was not powerful enough to “shock” anyone. In fact, the way wires were created is the fundamental reason to how we can safely avoid being electrocuted. In a sense, the rubber or plastic material used to coat the copper wires are used for electrical insulation. This ensures that the current will not escape into another conductor, like metals or even your body.
Electrical insulators are materials that are poor conductors for electricity, making them high in resistivity. This means that electrical charges do not flow free or at all. Some good materials that are good examples of electrical insulators are paper and glass. As mentioned above, rubber and plastic are materials that are used quite frequently as insulators even though they have low moderate resistivity, because they are still able to provide safe insulation for hundreds to even thousands of volts.
Knowing what materials are good electrical insulators is just as important as knowing what materials are conductors of electricity.
Electricity is very interesting, but knowing how to stay safe around it is even more important. Having knowledge is crucial, but having friends in the business is one less thing to worry about. If you are not too sure about any electrical repair, A & H Electric is just one call away.
