Explaining the universally familiar term electricity as “The set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge” may not lead to either fascination or excitement on the part of virtually anybody nowadays, given that this most compelling source of energy is unarguably the most indispensable part of life of both urbanites and rustics. Historically, the first major breakthrough in electricity is accepted as: In 1831, when British scientist Michael Faraday (1791 - 1867) discovered the basic principles of generating electricity, by observing that it could be induced by moving magnets inside coils made of copper. The journey of electricity from being a mere intellectual curiosity for long to its present exalted status as the virtual heart of all devices of technology has witnessed landmark inventions that may cloud the invention of the ubiquitous electric light bulb by Thomas Edison (1847-1931) in 1878. The fields of electronics and radio (wireless) communication owe it to electricity in a measure that can never be reckoned adequately.
During the days until not too long ago the electric light bulbs used to be rated for their brightness with the term ‘candle-power’, with which present generation may not be aware. Also, terms such as watts, voltage, short circuit, horse power, direct current, single phase and so on may sound unfamiliar to lay people at large even in this modern age. The expression “Electricity is the best servant but a bad master” symbolises the extent of poor awareness about care and caution of using this source of energy.
