How is electricity made?
It’s hard to imagine our homes without
electricity. There would be no TV, computer
or video games. You’d have to do your
homework by candlelight or oil lamps. You
wouldn’t be able to listen to your favourite
bands on the radio or CD player – instead
you’d have to make your own music!
What is electricity?
Electricity is a form of energy that starts
with atoms. You can’t see atoms because
they’re too small, but they make up
everything around us. There are three parts
to an atom: protons, neutrons and electrons.
Electricity is created when electrons move
from atom to atom. There are a number of
ways to make electrons move, but most
electricity is produced at power plants.
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How do power plants work?
It all starts with a source of power. At
Yukon Energy, we use water to create most
of our electricity. That’s why most of our
plants are called hydroelectric facilities:
hydro means water. Power plants that
use water to make electricity are built
near rivers. Our Whitehorse plant, for
instance, is on the Yukon River.
All the wires are made of metal – usually aluminum
or copper. That’s because metal is a good conductor –
electricity travels through it easily. Water is also a
good conductor, and because our bodies are mostly
made of water, electricity can travel through us
easily. That’s not something we want to happen
though, because if we have electricity going through
us we’ll likely be seriously hurt or even killed. That’s
why adults warn you to stay away from high voltage
sites and to keep your fingers away from wall plugs.
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