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Electricity - Defining the phenomenaYou have been switching between electricity, electrical energy, and electromagnetic energy; what exactly is electricity?Yes. I have. The word electricity is highly ambiguous. William Betty has discussed this ambiguity in detail in his web site. To summarize, the word electricity is a general word like physics. The energy that gets transferred along the conducting wire is correctly termed electromagnetic energy. Moreover, the world electricity has taken different meaning over different period of times and at different contexts. Hence forth, I will NOT use the term electricity or electrical energy when referring to energy, rather I will use electromagnetic energy. The energy that lights up the bulb, energy that transforms into heat in the resistor, and that runs a motor is electromagnetic energy. I prefer the term electromagnetic energy, because the magnetic aspects of the electromagnetic energy are always there, whether we consider them or not. Also, when we think we are only dealing with magnets electric aspects are there. Thus, the word electromagnetic energy is more logical and less confusing than electricity, electrical energy, or magnetic energy. What is electromagnetic energy? Electromagnetic energy is a form of energy. Before we can discuss what is electromagnetic energy, we have to discuss what is energy. What is energy? (Continuity Question) |