» Switched On

Electricity can be used in thousands of different ways. It's hard to imagine modern life without it. This incredible form of energy has changed the way that we live and the way that our cities run. Find out what electricity is actually made from, and how people have learnt to make use of it to produce heat and light and to power all kinds of machines and appliances.

The first person to write about electricity was a Greek mathematician named Thales. He wrote about static electricity. Look at the experiment on page 5. Try this with someone in your family, using a plastic comb or a balloon. Then try other kinds of materials. Make a list of the materials that do make someone's hair stand on end and those that don't.