Despite the widespread, everyday use of electrical appliances, some caution is to be followed when interacting with electricity. You probably have heard about the hazards of touching electrical switches with wet hands. Here’s why it is not a good idea to touch electrical appliances just after washing your hands.
Fresh water does conduct electricity. Although water in its pure form does not conduct electricity, most water is not distilled water. It has many minerals, salts, and other substances dissolved. Thus, ionic solvent water can conduct electricity due to the dissolved ions and impurities.
Continue reading to find out more about how electricity travels and how fresh water is a conductor.
How Does Electric Current Travel?
Current flows from positive to negative and electrons flow from negative to positive. Current is determined by the number of electrons passing through a cross-section of a conductor in one second.
In a solid, the electrons are passed from one positively charged metallic atom to the next, but in solution, the electron is carried by the ions present in the solution. A solution capable of carrying charge is called an electrolyte.
Electricity conducts across liquids via ions, and it cannot pass through the liquid without them. The conductivity of liquids varies, and the more ions there are, the more conductive they become.
Electrolysis is a deliberate procedure used to cover metals with another substance, such as silver plating.
Why Does Fresh Water Conduct Electricity?
When a battery with positive and negative poles is submerged in water, the negative pole attracts positive ions, and the positive pole attracts negative ions, resulting in a closed circuit.
Water is amphoteric, which means it can function as both a base and an acid. Because electropositive elements reduce water to a hydrogen molecule, it is an excellent supply of hydrogen for redox processes.
Except for mercury, water has the highest surface tension of any liquid. Hydrogen bonding in water molecules creates this water characteristic.
In many ways, the water around us, whether tap water, rainwater, or seawater, contains innumerable impurities such as sodium Na +, calcium Ca2 +, and magnesium Mg2 + ions. Since these are charged when they are present in water, electricity can flow through the liquid.
Water does not need many impurities to function as a good conductor of electricity; even a small number of ions can enable a water source to conduct electricity. In short, because of the dissolved ions and contaminants, water can transmit electricity.
Here’s an informative video for you to watch as you read:
Why Doesn’t Distilled Water Conduct Electricity?
In order for electricity to flow through a liquid, the charge must pass through the liquid. Fully deionized water, or absolutely “clean” water, has no ions. As a result, because no charge travels through water, pure water does not conduct electricity.
There are no contaminants and, consequently, no ions in distilled water. There are only neutral molecules that are devoid of charge. As a result, distilled water is also incapable of conducting electricity.
How Does Electricity Reach Your Home?
The electricity that flows to our homes is generated in power stations. In power stations, large spinning turbines generate electricity, powered by wind, coal, natural gas, or water (hydropower).
The electrical current is sent through transformers, which increase the voltage so the power can be pushed over long distances.
The electrical charge is then carried by transmission lines held up by large towers stretching across huge distances. The electricity is subsequently distributed to your neighborhood via distribution wires. Smaller transformers reduce the voltage again, making the power safe for our homes.
The power enters your home and travels through a meter, which monitors how much electricity you consume. Finally, electricity passes through wires inside the walls to your home’s outlets and switches, ready to power your electronics.
How Electricity Is Produced
Depending on the source of energy, there are numerous techniques for producing electricity.
Coal and natural gas are used to generate electricity by combustion (thermal power), whereas Uranium is used to generate electricity by nuclear fission (nuclear power) and to use their heat to boil water and rotate a steam turbine.
Among renewable energies, sunlight is immediately transformed into electricity (photovoltaics), wind rotation energy is converted into electricity (wind power), and a spinning water wheel is used to generate electricity (water power/hydroelectric power).
Magmatic heat causes subsurface water to boil, causing a steam turbine to spin and generate electricity (geothermal).
Continuous technological research is underway for them to convert resource energy or renewable energies into electricity with minimal loss. It is also necessary for the running of a power plant to do maintenance or operator training.
Preventing Electric Shocks
The major hazards associated with electricity are electrical shock, fire, and arc flash. It is important to stay safe with electrical appliances.
- Do Not Use A Defective Electrical Device
When you see a faulty electrical gadget, you may be tempted to use it nevertheless. Never play with electricity. Inspect electric cords for fraying if you see a crack in the insulation, repair or replace it.
Cords can be frayed if they get moved a lot, are in the sun, are chewed by an animal, or if you have had them for a long time.
Always unplug it before attempting to repair it yourself. If it’s connected in, one incorrect motion could result in an electric shock. If you’re not familiar with electricity, get an expert instead.
- Unplug Before Changing Light Bulbs
Before replacing the burned-out bulb, turn off the light and ensure sure no one touches the switch while you’re working. Unplug the light fixture if it is not linked to a switch (for example, a bedside or floor lamp) before changing the bulb.
- Take Care Of Electrical Outlets
Do not plug too many things into the same outlet. This can overload electrical circuits. Replace all older two-pronged outlets. All outlets in the home should be of the 3-pronged type. It is not safe to use adapters that allow you to plug a 3-pronged appliance into a 2-pronged outlet for an extended period.
Conclusion
Water in its pure form does not conduct electricity, but fresh water is different. It has many substances dissolved in it. Fresh water is a good conductor so make sure to keep your electric appliances away from water sources.
