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particle. In case a charged particle in static form is kept in a constant magnetic
field, then that particle would not feel any force.
Phenomena like electricity producing magnetism and the change in
magnetic field inducing electricity forms the basis of working principle of
various useful appliances.
2)
Electricity – the fuel of the future
At present, two-thirds of all electricity is consumed by the industrial and
commercial sectors. As robots take over the factory and computers come to
dominate the office, electricity, the one form of energy ideally suited to high
technology uses, will come to dominate as an energy source.
Electricity is the lifeblood of the industrialised world’s economy, a magic
fuel that is highly flexible and clean at the point of use, and that can be
controlled to vary temperatures and speeds.
Electricity drives the motors that move assembly lines. It lights and heats
offices and stores. And in an advanced economy, electricity is the medium of
information as it flows through telecommunication lines and computer
networks.
And now digital electronics promises to forge powerful new media that
will merge the telephone and the cable television industries.
Many electrotechlonologies are so efficient that using them creates a
competitive advantage. Here are some examples:
•
Produce steel with an electric melter instead of a flame (Energy savings
of 65 per cent)
•
Dry paint with infrared electric heat rather than gas ovens (Energy
savings of 90 per cent), and
•
Cook in a microwave oven instead of a gas oven (Energy saving of 90
per cent).
Some people do not fully appreciate electricity’s efficiency because they
know about conversion losses – the energy lost in converting fuel into
electricity. They are also aware of the energy losses that attend the movement
of electricity along transmission lines. They then point out that further losses
occur when the electricity is converted to do work. Yes, it is true there are
losses.
But if you could run your television set or your computer on gasoline or
woodchips, you might get some idea how efficient electricity is when compared
with other fuels.
A few years ago, USA Today, the nationwide US newspaper, surveyed its
readers to find out what people thought was the “greatest invention of all time”.
The overwhelming response was something we rarely think of as an invention:
electricity.
