One doesn’t need a ‘Lightbulb Moment’, when it comes to deciphering the importance of Electricity in the Modern World.
It’s impossible to imagine living in today’s world, without having access to electrical power. The uses of electricity in our daily life are vast and varied. What’s more, we now even have the power to choose our preferred type of Electrical Power!
Apart from the more obvious uses like Lighting, Heating and Refrigeration, electricity has several myriad uses to offer us people who live the modern life.
Are you sufficiently ‘Charged’? Let’s begin this article, with a look at the Importance of Electricity in our daily lives.
The Importance of Electricity in the Modern World
Electricity is of paramount importance in today’s world. It is generated by converting natural energy sources like Coal and Solar Energy, into Electrical Energy.
It is the discovery of this very electrical energy that has resulted in several scientific breakthroughs. It has seen the creation of several gadgets that are extremely beneficial to mankind. For instance, the light bulb that was invented by Thomas Alva Edison.
It is impossible to not think of flicking on that light switch, when one comes home at night. Undoubtedly, the light bulb is one of history’s greatest innovations. However, there are several more uses of electricity that the following section proposes to shed ‘Light’ on.
Uses of Electricity in our Daily Life
Electricity is used to power the world around us. So much so, that it is impossible to imagine a world without electricity.
Here are some of the noteworthy uses of electricity in our daily life.
Industrial
All those heavy duty machines in factories, cannot work by themselves. It is electricity that empowers them to get up and running, so that they can perform tasks like manufacturing materials.
Even those giant magnets that are used to lift metals, need electricity to keep them sufficiently charged.
Fact: It has been found that sudden power outages are the reason several businesses incur severe losses. This is because they are largely dependent on plants and industrial units that run on electricity.
Note: It’s on account of this fact that several industries are looking at creating their own power plants.
Household
The application of electricity in the house is not limited to that Light Bulb!
From toasters to microwaves and washing machines to dishwashers, electricity is required for just about every appliance in your home. It is impossible to imagine a world without these electrical appliances that make our daily lives ever so convenient. Be they small or large, electricity is responsible for driving all electrical appliances!
Commercial
Commercial establishments like restaurants and shopping malls, all require the application of electricity to fire their several processes.
Fact: Some commercial establishments like hospitals, require a near-limitless supply of electricity. Imagine an operation going on, and electricity running out!
Electricity as Fuel
Did you know that Electricity is classified as a Renewable Source of Energy?
The really cool thing about electricity is that it can be generated with just about every single natural resource at our disposal. In the past, cars and bikes used to run on things like Fossil Fuels. Now, they can even be powered by electricity that is derived from Solar Panels!
Fact: In today’s world, electrical cars are widely used by the public. The batteries of these vehicles are charged by electricity. There is a very real possibility that fuel-dependent railway stations will one day be entirely replaced by Metros.
In the Office
Just about everything you see in the office runs on Electricity!
It starts even before you enter the office doors. That lift that takes you up to the floor your office is on? It runs on electricity! Even the smallest things in the office, ranging from that biometric scanner to the coffee machine we simply cannot do without, are all powered by electricity.
The Exploration of Space
This point is especially relevant, at a time when we are all basking in the glory of ISRO’s recent landing on the Moon. All those satellites and probes that are launched from the Earth’s surface, are powered by electricity.
This electricity might be powered by a battery, or created by a generator. Without electricity, we wouldn’t be able to go and knock on the doors of Outer Space!
Entertainment
Whether it’s a memory stick or a portable MP3 player you carry with you to listen to your favourite tunes, they all need one thing: Electricity!
There are plenty such devices that form an essential part of our daily lives. Like the TV, that we make use of almost every day to binge on our favourite Netflix show. Whether they are connected to the mains or are powered by batteries, they need electricity to function. Just like human beings need oxygen to breathe!
The Outdoors
Air and sunshine are not the only things we need in the Outdoors!
The reason we can drive safely on streets at night is because of those street lights that are powered by none other than electricity itself! Forget going far from home, even the lawnmower and sprinkler that you use in your backyard, need electricity to function.
Fact: Those outdoor heated swimming pools that you look forward to plunging into in the cold season, are powered by electricity, too.
Communication
In today’s digital world, having a high-speed Internet connection is the norm. It is impossible to imagine a world without Instant Messaging. However, all those high-speed optical fibres depend on an electrical signal at the end of each line.
Needless to say, people might have to resort to writing letters again, if electricity were to be removed all of a sudden from our daily lives.
At EuroKids, we believe that teaching children the many uses of electricity, will go a long way in reinforcing basic Science Concepts in their minds. Apart from imparting them with a basic understanding of electricity, we advise you to teach them to be careful around this resource that is all around them.
