Electrical Safety 101 (in plain English)

..Or "how not to die electrocuted?" -Part 1-

"We fear things in proportion to our ignorance of them" This perfectly applies to electricity. It is there since you were born, it's something so conventional, so why bother trying to understand how it works?
 Developing good practices will save your life. And it isn't just about not touching a switch with wet hands.

in this blog post, I will explain the difference between "Direct current" and "Alternating current".

Electricity sources

 Think of sources of electricity that you can find in your vicinity: A wall socket, batteries (AA, AAA, 9 volts batteries, car batteries, power banks..)
Let's just consider these for a moment.

Electrons and Electricity

Electrons are subatomic particles. They have negative charge, and are attracted to positive charges, just like magnets poles repel or attract each other. Electricity is the flow of electrons. Electrons are willing to give up on their energy anytime, it is like a burden, they love to get to a resting state. While giving up on their energy, they get your phone to work, and your fan to turn.

What is the difference between AC and DC?

In batteries, there are zillions of electrons on the negative (-) terminal waiting for a means of transport to get the the positive (+) terminal where they can rest. If the path between the (-) and the (+) is completed, they start to move. But remember: They only go one way. That's why it's called Direct Current or DC.

The wall outlet is a different story, there are two holes, one is called "hot" (or "phase"), the other is called "neutral".
When you plug in one of your home appliances, you're providing a path for the electrons to flow, but guess what? Electrons will keep going back and forth between the hot and the neutral 50 times per seconds or 60 if you live in the Americas. This is called Alternating Current or AC.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can't electrons just move to the (+) inside the battery?
A: No, there's a barrier substance called electrolyte that prevents that from happening.
Q: What causes the batteries to die?
A: Remember, electrons are attracted to (+), when all positive charges are taken, single electrons can't find their couples, so the flow stops, and with it the electricity.
Q: What happens when I recharge my phone?
A: You're forcing the electrons to divorce the (+)s, and migrating them back to the negative terminal.
Q: There is another terminal on my phone's battery marked (T). What is it?
A: it stands for Thermistor, which is nothing but a temperature sensor.
Q: Can I drain a AA battery by holding its terminals between my thumb and index?
A: Yes, but it'll take literaly a lifetime. I'll explain in future posts.
Q: There is a third hole / a pin in the wall socket, what is it for?
A:That's called ground, it'll be explained in a future post.