Since ancient times, people have known that there are “electric” fish, such as the eel or stingray, which create a discharge similar to the discharge of a capacitor. And so, a professor of anatomy at the University of Bologna, Luigi Galvani (1737-1798), decided to find out whether other animals had this ability. In 1780, he dissected a dead frog and hung the frog's leg on a copper wire on the balcony to dry. The wind swayed the paw, and Galvani noticed that when it touched the iron railing, it contracted, just like a living creature. From this, Galvani made the erroneous (as it later turned out) conclusion that the muscles and nerves of animals generate electricity.
This conclusion was incorrect in the case of the frog. Meanwhile, fish that produce electricity, and in considerable quantities, exist and are quite common. Here is what the scientist, specialist in this field N.I. Tarasov writes about this.
In warm and tropical seas, in the rivers of Africa and South America, there live several dozen species of fish that are capable of occasionally or constantly emitting electrical discharges of varying strengths. These fish use their electric current not only for defense and attack, but also to signal each other and detect obstacles (locations) in advance. Electrical organs are found only in fish. If other animals had them, scientists would have known this long ago.
Electric fish have existed on Earth for millions of years. Their remains were found in very ancient layers of the earth's crust. On ancient Greek vases there are images of an electric stingray - torpedo.
In the writings of ancient Greek and Roman writers and naturalists there are many references to the wonderful, incomprehensible power that the torpedo is endowed with. Doctors of Ancient Rome kept these stingrays in large aquariums at home. They tried to use torpedoes to treat diseases: patients were forced to touch the stingray, and the patients seemed to recover from electric shocks.
Even in our time, on the Mediterranean coast and the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula, elderly people sometimes wander in shallow water - hoping to be cured of rheumatism or gout with a “healing” electric torpedo.
Electricity in a dashboard is generated in special organs - “electric batteries”. They are located between the head and pectoral fins and consist of hundreds of hexagonal columns of gelatinous substance. The columns are separated from each other by dense partitions, to which the nerves approach. The tops and bases of the columns are in contact with the skin of the back and belly. The nerves leading to the electrical organs are highly developed and have about half a million endings inside the “batteries”.
In a few tens of seconds, the torpedo emits hundreds and thousands of short discharges, flowing from the belly to the back. The current voltage for different types of stingrays ranges from 80 to 300 V with a current strength of 7 - 8 A.
In the waters of our seas live some species of spiny stingrays - raya, or, as we call them, sea foxes. The effect of the electrical organs of these stingrays is much weaker than that of the torpedo. It can be assumed that the weak but well-developed electrical organs of the rai serve them to communicate with each other and play the role of a wireless telegraph.
Recently, scientists discovered that the African freshwater fish Gymnarhus continuously emits weak but frequent electrical signals throughout its life. With them, the gymnarhus seems to probe the space around itself. It swims confidently in muddy water, among algae and stones, without touching any obstacles with its body. The same ability is endowed with the “low-current” relatives of the electric eel - the South American gymnast and the African fish Mormyrops.
In the eastern part of the Pacific tropical waters lives the ocellated discopyge ray. It occupies a kind of intermediate position between a torpedo and prickly slopes. The stingray feeds on small crustaceans and easily obtains them without using electric current. His electrical discharges cannot kill anyone and probably only serve him to ward off predators.
It's not just stingrays that have electrical organs. The body of the African river catfish, Malapterurus, is wrapped, like a fur coat, in a gelatinous layer in which an electric current is formed. Electrical organs account for about a quarter of the weight of the entire catfish. The discharge voltage of this fish reaches 360 V; it is unsafe for humans and, of course, fatal for fish.
In the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans, in the Mediterranean and Black seas live small fish that look like gobies - stargazers. They usually lie on the coastal bottom, lying in wait for prey swimming from above. Therefore, their eyes, located on the upper side of the head, look upward. This is where their name comes from. Some species of stargazers have electrical organs that are located in the eye socket and probably serve only for signaling.
The electric eel lives in tropical South American rivers. This is a gray-blue snake-like fish up to 3 m long. The head and abdominal part account for only 1/5 of its body, and complex electrical organs are located along 4/5 of the body on both sides. They consist of 6,000 - 7,000 plates, separated from each other by a thin shell and isolated by spacers of a gelatinous substance. The plates form a kind of battery, giving a discharge in the direction from the tail to the head. The eel's current is sufficient to kill a fish or frog in the water. People swimming in the river also have a bad time: the eel’s electrical organ produces a voltage of several hundred volts. A particularly strong current voltage is produced by the eel when it bends in an arc so that the victim is between its tail and head: a closed electric ring is obtained.
The eel's electrical discharge attracts other eels nearby. This property of acne can also be used artificially. By discharging any source of electricity into the water, it was possible to attract a whole herd of eels; it was only necessary to select the appropriate voltage and frequency of discharges.
It is estimated that 10,000 eels could power an electric train within a few minutes. But after that the train would stand for several days until the eels regained their electrical energy
Theme of my work: Living electricity
The goal of the work was to identify ways to obtain electricity from plants and experimental confirmation of some of them.
We have set ourselves the following tasks:
To achieve the objectives, the following research methods were used: literature analysis, experimental method, comparison method.
Before electric current reaches our home, it travels a long way from the place where the current is received to the place where it is consumed. Current is generated in power plants. Power plant - an electrical station, a set of installations, equipment and apparatus used directly for the production of electrical energy, as well as the necessary structures and buildings located in a certain area.
"WORK LIVE ELECTRICITY"
Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of the Republic of Crimea
Crimean competition of research works and projects for schoolchildren in grades 5-8 “Step into Science”
Topic: Living electricity
Work completed:
Asanova Evelina Asanovna
5th grade student
Scientific supervisor:
Ablyalimova Lilya Lenurovna,
biology and chemistry teacher
MBOU "Veselovskaya Secondary School"
With. Veselovka – 2017
1.Introduction……………………………………………………………..…3
2. Sources of electric current…………………………..…….……4
2.1. Non-traditional energy sources………………………….…..4
2.2. “Living” sources of electric current………………………...4
2.3. Fruits and vegetables as sources of electric current…………...5
3. Practical part……………………………..………….…………6
4. Conclusion……………………………………………………………….………..…..8
List of references……………………………………………………….9
INTRODUCTION
Electricity and plants - what could they have in common? However, back in the middle of the 18th century, natural scientists understood: these two concepts are united by some kind of internal connection.
People encountered “living” electricity at the dawn of civilization: they knew the ability of some fish to hit prey with the help of some kind of internal force. This is evidenced by cave paintings and some Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting an electric catfish. And he wasn’t the only one singled out on this basis then. Roman doctors managed to use the “strikes” of stingrays to treat nervous diseases. Scientists have done a lot in studying the amazing interaction between electricity and living things, but nature still hides a lot from us.
Thales of Miletus was the first to draw attention to electric charge 600 years BC. He discovered that amber, rubbed with wool, will acquire the properties of attracting light objects: fluff, pieces of paper. Later it was believed that only amber had this property. The first chemical source of electric current was invented by accident, at the end of the 17th century, by the Italian scientist Luigi Galvani. In fact, the goal of Galvani’s research was not at all the search for new sources of energy, but the study of the reaction of experimental animals to various external influences. In particular, the phenomenon of the generation and flow of current was discovered when strips of two different metals were attached to the frog's leg muscle. Galvani gave an incorrect theoretical explanation for the observed process. Being a doctor, not a physicist, he saw the reason in the so-called “animal electricity”. Galvani confirmed his theory with reference to well-known cases of discharges that some living beings, for example, “electric fish,” are capable of producing.
In 1729, Charles Dufay discovered that there are two types of charges. Experiments conducted by Du Fay said that one of the charges is formed by rubbing glass on silk, and the other by rubbing resin on wool. The concept of positive and negative charge was introduced by the German naturalist Georg Christoph. The first quantitative researcher was the law of interaction of charges, experimentally established in 1785 by Charles Coulomb using the sensitive torsion balance he developed.
SOURCES OF ELECTRIC CURRENT
Before electric current reaches our home, it travels a long way from the place where the current is received to the place where it is consumed. Current is generated in power plants. Power plant - an electrical station, a set of installations, equipment and apparatus used directly for the production of electrical energy, as well as the necessary structures and buildings located in a certain area. Depending on the energy source, there are thermal power plants (TPPs), hydroelectric power plants (HPPs), pumped storage power plants, and nuclear power plants (NPPs).
NON-CONVENTIONAL ENERGY SOURCES
In addition to traditional current sources, there are many non-traditional sources. Electricity, in fact, can be obtained from almost anything. Non-traditional sources of electrical energy, where irreplaceable energy resources are practically not wasted: wind energy, tidal energy, solar energy.
There are other objects that at first glance have nothing to do with electricity, but can serve as a source of current.
“LIVING” SOURCES OF ELECTRIC CURRENT
There are animals in nature that we call “living powerhouses.” Animals are very sensitive to electric current. Even a small current is fatal for many of them. Horses die even from a relatively weak voltage of 50-60 volts. And there are animals that not only have high resistance to electric current, but also generate current in their body. These fish are electric eels, stingrays, and catfish. Real living powerhouses!
The source of the current is special electrical organs located in two pairs under the skin along the body - under the caudal fin and on the upper part of the tail and back. In appearance, such organs are an oblong body, consisting of a reddish-yellow gelatinous substance, divided into several thousand flat plates, cells, longitudinal and transverse partitions. Something like a battery. More than 200 nerve fibers approach the electrical organ from the spinal cord, branches from which go to the skin of the back and tail. Touching the back or tail of this fish produces a powerful discharge that can instantly kill small animals and stun large animals and humans. Moreover, current is transmitted better in water. Large animals stunned by eels often drown in the water.
Electric organs are a means not only for protection from enemies, but also for obtaining food. Electric eels hunt at night. Approaching the prey, it randomly discharges its “batteries”, and all living things - fish, frogs, crabs - are paralyzed. The action of the discharge is transmitted over a distance of 3-6 meters. All he can do is swallow the stunned prey. Having used up the supply of electrical energy, the fish rests for a long time and replenishes it, “charging” its “batteries”.
2.3. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AS SOURCES OF ELECTRIC CURRENT
After studying the literature, I learned that electricity can be obtained from certain fruits and vegetables. Electric current can be obtained from lemon, apples and, most interestingly, from ordinary potatoes - raw and boiled. Such unusual batteries can work for several days and even weeks, and the electricity they generate is 5-50 times cheaper than that obtained from traditional batteries and at least six times more economical than a kerosene lamp when used for lighting.
Indian scientists have decided to use fruits, vegetables and their waste to power simple household appliances. The batteries contain a paste made from processed bananas, orange peels and other vegetables or fruits, in which zinc and copper electrodes are placed. The new product is designed primarily for residents of rural areas, who can prepare their own fruit and vegetable ingredients to recharge unusual batteries.
PRACTICAL PART
Sections of leaves and stems are always negatively charged relative to normal tissue. If you take a lemon or an apple and cut it, and then apply two electrodes to the peel, they will not detect a potential difference. If one electrode is applied to the peel and the other to the inside of the pulp, a potential difference will appear, and the galvanometer will note the appearance of current.
I decided to test it experimentally and prove that there is electricity in vegetables and fruits. For research, I chose the following fruits and vegetables: lemon, apple, banana, tangerine, potato. She noted the readings of the galvanometer and, indeed, received a current in each case.
As a result of the work done:
1. I studied and analyzed scientific and educational literature about sources of electric current.
2. I got acquainted with the progress of work on obtaining electric current from plants.
3. She proved that there is electricity in the fruits of various fruits and vegetables and obtained unusual current sources.
Of course, the electrical energy of plants and animals currently cannot replace full-fledged powerful energy sources. However, they should not be underestimated.
CONCLUSION
To achieve the goal of my work, all the research tasks have been solved.
Analysis of scientific and educational literature led to the conclusion that there are a lot of objects around us that can serve as sources of electric current.
During the work, methods for producing electric current were considered. I learned a lot of interesting things about traditional power sources - various kinds of power plants.
With the help of experience, I have shown that it is possible to obtain electricity from some fruits; of course, this is a small current, but the very fact of its presence gives hope that in the future such sources can be used for their own purposes (to charge a mobile phone, etc.). Such batteries can be used by residents of rural areas of the country, who can themselves prepare fruit and vegetable ingredients to recharge bio-batteries. The used battery composition does not pollute the environment like galvanic (chemical) cells and does not require separate disposal in designated areas.
LIST OF LITERATURE SOURCES
Gordeev A.M., Sheshnev V.B. Electricity in plant life. Publisher: Nauka - 1991
Magazine "Science and Life", No. 10, 2004.
Magazine. "Galileo" Science by experiment. No. 3/ 2011 “Lemon Battery”.
Magazine “Young Erudite” No. 10 / 2009 “Energy from nothing.”
Galvanic cell - article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
V. Lavrus “Batteries and accumulators.”
View document contents
"THESIS"
Topic: Living electricity
Scientific supervisor: Lilya Lenurovna Ablyalimova, teacher of biology and chemistry, Veselovskaya Secondary School
Relevance of the chosen topic: currently in Russia there is a trend of rising prices for energy resources, including electricity. Therefore, the issue of finding cheap energy sources is important. Humanity is faced with the task of developing environmentally friendly, renewable, non-traditional energy sources.
Purpose of the work: identifying ways to obtain electricity from plants and experimental confirmation of some of them.
Study and analyze scientific and educational literature about sources of electric current.
Familiarize yourself with the progress of work on obtaining electric current from plants.
Prove that plants have electricity.
Formulate directions for the beneficial use of the results obtained.
Research methods: literature analysis, experimental method, comparison method.
View presentation content
"PRESENTATION"
Live electricity Work completed: Asanova Evelina, 5th grade student MBOU "Veselovskaya Secondary School"
Relevance of the work:
Currently, there is a tendency in Russia to increase prices for energy resources, including electricity. Therefore, the issue of finding cheap energy sources is important.
Humanity is faced with the task of developing environmentally friendly, renewable, non-traditional energy sources.
Purpose of the work:
Identification of ways to obtain electricity from plants and experimental confirmation of some of them.
- Study and analyze scientific and educational literature about sources of electric current.
- Familiarize yourself with the progress of work on obtaining electric current from plants.
- Prove that plants have electricity.
- Formulate directions for the beneficial use of the results obtained.
- Literature analysis
- Experimental method
- Comparison method
Introduction
Our work is devoted to unusual energy sources.
Chemical current sources play a very important role in the world around us. They are used in mobile phones and spaceships, in cruise missiles and laptops, in cars, flashlights and ordinary toys. Every day we come across batteries, accumulators, and fuel cells.
Modern life is simply unthinkable without electricity - just imagine the existence of humanity without modern household appliances, audio and video equipment, an evening with a candle and a torch.
Living power plants
The most powerful discharges are produced by the South American electric eel. They reach 500-600 volts. This kind of tension can knock a horse off its feet. The eel creates a particularly strong electric current when it bends in an arc so that the victim is between its tail and head: a closed electrical ring is created .
Living power plants
Stingrays are living powerhouses, producing a voltage of about 50-60 volts and delivering a discharge current of 10 amperes.
All fish that produce electrical discharges use special electrical organs for this.
Something about electric fish
Pisces use discharges:
- to illuminate your path;
- to protect, attack and stun the victim;
- transmit signals to each other and detect obstacles in advance.
Non-traditional current sources
In addition to traditional current sources, there are many non-traditional ones. It turns out that electricity can be obtained from almost anything.
Experiment:
Electricity can be obtained from some fruits and vegetables. Electric current can be obtained from lemon, apples and, most interestingly, from ordinary potatoes. I conducted experiments with these fruits and actually received a current.
- As a result of the work done:
- 1. I studied and analyzed scientific and educational literature about sources of electric current.
- 2. I got acquainted with the progress of work on obtaining electric current from plants.
- 3. She proved that there is electricity in the fruits of various fruits and vegetables and obtained unusual current sources.
CONCLUSION:
To achieve the goal of my work, all the research tasks have been solved. Analysis of scientific and educational literature led to the conclusion that there are a lot of objects around us that can serve as sources of electric current.
During the work, methods for producing electric current were considered. I learned a lot of interesting things about traditional power sources - various kinds of power plants.
Through experiments, I have shown that it is possible to obtain electricity from some fruits; of course, this is a small current, but the very fact of its presence gives hope that in the future such sources can be used for their own purposes (to charge a mobile phone, etc.). Such batteries can be used by residents of rural areas of the country, who can themselves prepare fruit and vegetable ingredients to recharge bio-batteries. The used battery composition does not pollute the environment like galvanic (chemical) cells and does not require separate disposal in designated areas.
Lesson developments (lesson notes)
Project activities
Basic general education
Line UMK A.V. Peryshkin. Physics (7-9)
Attention! The site administration is not responsible for the content of methodological developments, as well as for the compliance of the development with the Federal State Educational Standard.
Interdisciplinary project: physics and biology.
Project participants: 8th grade students.
Equipment: computers, printer, scanner, copier, educational posters and visual aids.
CelAndproject:
- To develop knowledge about the quantities and laws studied in the “Electricity” section.
- To develop the ability to apply the laws of physics to explain the processes occurring in living organisms.
- To develop cognitive activity and research activities of students.
- Improving pedagogical technologies that develop communication and cooperation skills.
Project objectives:
- Teach students to independently search for the necessary information using various sources (computer databases, libraries) when working on a project.
- Teach students to exchange information, the ability to express their point of view and justify it.
- Teach students to work individually, in pairs, in groups on the topic of the project.
- To form a belief in the unity of the laws of living and inanimate nature.
- Develop skills in organizing project presentations.
- To develop in schoolchildren a sense of responsibility for the assigned work.
- To teach students and teachers to analyze and evaluate their own creative and business capabilities.
Annotation
The extremely short time allotted for schoolchildren to acquire knowledge in the field of physics during school hours, as well as during extracurricular hours, affects the insufficient level of knowledge. The lack of knowledge about the practical application of the laws of physics in human life also has an impact. Therefore, we had a need to develop a collective creative project, the implementation of which would contribute to the development of an understanding among participants in the educational process about how the laws of physics and the laws of electricity can be applied to living organisms. It is equally important to know what physical laws explain the processes occurring in living organisms
The topic of this project is relevant not only for students of a particular school, but also for other schools in the Republic of Tatarstan and beyond.
In the process of mastering the “Electricity” section, we developed an integrative learning model, which is based on person-centered learning. Upon completion of studying this section, it is advisable to summarize the topics and consider the practical application of the laws of physics using the project method.
It is based on the development of the student’s cognitive processes, the ability to independently construct their knowledge, and navigate the information space. This result can be achieved only when schoolchildren develop independence of thought, the ability to find and solve problems, drawing on knowledge from different subject areas and fields of activity, the ability to predict results and possible consequences of solution options, and the ability to establish cause-and-effect relationships. The project method is aimed at developing a new type of thinking in high school students – integrative thinking.
When working on a project, it is planned to unite students in creative working groups, specializing as:
- Coordinator (coordinating the activities of creative groups).
- Theoretical physicists (study and analysis of a branch of physics)
- Practical physicists (formulation and solution of problems)
- Biologists (study of systems of living organisms)
- Information support group (slide design, photography, computer presentation of the project)
INoutputs:
- Development of an extracurricular lesson “Electricity in living organisms” (outline).
- Presentation of the project “Electricity in Living Organisms” in a general educational institution.
- Photo materials on the project.
Stages of work on the project
STAGE 1: “Organizational”
TASKS: defining a topic, clarifying goals, setting tasks, the relevance of the problem, choosing creative working groups and distributing roles in them, identifying sources of information, studying methods and forms of work for the lesson, choosing criteria for evaluating results.
PARTICIPANTS(students): organize into working groups, clarify information, discuss the task, formulate tasks and methods of interaction, select and justify their criteria for success.
COORDINATOR(physics teacher): motivates project participants, explains the goals of the project, discusses methods and forms of conducting a lesson, helps in analysis, stipulates deadlines for completing tasks, observes.
THEORETICAL PHYSICISTS: identify sources of information, discuss methodological literature on physics.
PRACTICAL PHYSICISTS: formulate problems, identify sources of information, discuss methodological literature on physics.
BIOLOGISTS: identify sources of information, discuss methodological literature on biology.
MEDICAL: identify sources of information, discuss methodological literature
Discusses forms of computer graphics for project presentation, creation of illustrative material in files, and determines everything that is necessary for photographic materials.
STAGE 2 “Development of design specifications”
TASKS: collection and clarification of information, discussion of alternatives, selection of the optimal option, clarification of activity plans, implementation of the project.
PARTICIPANTS(students): independent work on a task / individual, group, pair /, research activities in groups, work on a project.
COORDINATOR: coordinates the activities of creative groups, determines the circle of people who can provide methodological and technical assistance in organizing the project.
THEORETICAL PHYSICISTS:
PRACTICAL PHYSICISTS: Where does electricity come from?
BIOLOGISTS: What is it, who discovered what living organisms are, consider the structure of the cell of living organisms and the functions of the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, musculoskeletal systems of organisms.
MEDICAL: study the influence of electric current on organisms, on dysfunctions of the respiratory, circulatory, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems.
INFORMATION SUPPORT GROUP: draw up visual material on physics and biology in the form of educational tables, diagrams, drawings; preparing a computer presentation.
3 STAGE"Project development"
TASKS: implementation of the project, discussion of the achieved results.
PARTICIPANTS(students): work on the project in groups.
COORDINATOR: coordinates the activities of creative groups.
THEORETICAL PHYSICISTS: study and consolidate knowledge of the laws of physics:
PRACTICAL PHYSICISTS: experimental verification
BIOLOGISTS:
- Amphibians.
MEDICAL: prepare information:
- consequences of destruction of the body's nerve cells;
- recommendations for maintaining human health.
INFORMATION SUPPORT GROUP: scan educational diagrams and drawings from a biology textbook: prepares for a computer presentation: types text, inserts scanned material, designs slides
STAGE 4 “Evaluation of results”
TASKS: analysis of project implementation, discussion of achieved results, analysis of the completeness of achieving the goal.
PARTICIPANTS(students): participate in collective self-analysis of the project, demonstrating the independent work done.
COORDINATOR: discusses the presentation of the project, forms of display, sequence of presentations, participants of the presentation, establishes regulations.
CREATIVE GROUP consisting of theoretical physicists, practical physicists, biologists, doctors: demonstrating research work, rehearsing the upcoming presentation of the project.
INFORMATION SUPPORT GROUP: discussion of the upcoming presentation, slide show.
STAGE 5 “Project defense: conducting the lesson “Electricity in living organisms”
TASKS: Collective defense of the project: conducting a lesson “Electricity in living organisms”
PARTICIPANTS(students): participate in the collective teaching of the lesson “Electricity in living organisms”
COORDINATOR: monitors the progress of the lesson, directs the course of the lesson.
Progress of the lesson
Teacher communicates the topic and goals of the lesson.
Biologists: What is it, who discovered it, what are living organisms?
Living organisms are the main subject of study in biology. Living organisms not only fit into the existing world, but also isolated themselves from it using special barriers. The environment in which living organisms formed is a space-time continuum of events, that is, a set of phenomena of the physical world, which is determined by the characteristics and position of the Earth and the Sun. For convenience of consideration, all organisms are divided into different groups and categories, which constitutes a biological system of their classification. Their most general division is into nuclear and non-nuclear. Based on the number of cells that make up the body, they are divided into unicellular and multicellular. Colonies of unicellular organisms occupy a special place between them. For all living organisms, i.e. Plants and animals are affected by abiotic environmental factors (factors of inanimate nature), especially temperature, light and moisture. Depending on the influence of factors of inanimate nature, plants and animals are divided into different groups and they develop adaptations to the influence of these abiotic factors. As has already been said, living organisms are distributed over a large number. Today we will look at living organisms, dividing them into warm-blooded and cold-blooded:
- with a constant body temperature (warm-blooded);
- with unstable body temperature (cold-blooded).
Organisms with unstable body temperature (fish, amphibians, reptiles).
Organisms with a constant body temperature (birds, mammals).
Theoretical physicists: What is it, who discovered it, what is electricity?
Thales of Miletus was the first to draw attention to electric charge. He conducted an experiment, rubbed amber with wool, after such simple movements, amber began to have the property of attracting small objects. This property is less like electric charges and more like magnetism. But in 1600, Gilbert established a distinction between these two phenomena.
In 1747 - 53 B. Franklin outlined the first consistent theory of electrical phenomena, finally established the electrical nature of lightning and invented a lightning rod.
In the 2nd half of the 18th century. quantitative study of electrical and magnetic phenomena began. The first measuring instruments appeared - electroscopes of various designs, electrometers. G. Cavendish (1773) and C. Coulomb (1785) experimentally established the law of interaction of stationary point electric charges (Cavendish’s works were published only in 1879). This basic law of electrostatics (Coulomb's law) made it possible for the first time to create a method for measuring electric charges by the forces of interaction between them.
The next stage in the development of the science of electricity is associated with the discovery at the end of the 18th century. L. Galvani "animal electricity"
The main scientist in the study of electricity and electric charges is Michael Faraday. Through experiments, he proved that the effects of electric charges and currents do not depend on the method of their production. Also in 1831, Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction - the excitation of an electric current in a circuit located in an alternating magnetic field. In 1833 - 34 Faraday established the laws of electrolysis; These works of his marked the beginning of electrochemistry.
So, what is electricity? Electricity is a set of phenomena caused by the existence, movement and interaction of electrically charged bodies or particles. The phenomenon of electricity can be found almost everywhere.
For example, if you rub a plastic comb hard against your hair, pieces of paper will begin to stick to it. And if you rub a balloon on your sleeve, it will stick to the wall. When amber, plastic and a number of other materials are rubbed, an electric charge arises in them. The word “electric” itself comes from the Latin word electrum, meaning “amber.”
Practicing physicists: Where does electricity come from?
All objects around us contain millions of electrical charges, consisting of particles located inside atoms - the basis of all matter. The nucleus of most atoms contains two types of particles: neutrons and protons. Neutrons have no electrical charge, while protons carry a positive charge. Another particle rotating around the nucleus is electrons, which have a negative charge. Typically, each atom has the same number of protons and electrons, whose equal but opposite charges cancel each other out. As a result, we do not feel any charge, and the substance is considered uncharged. However, if we somehow upset this balance, then this object will have an overall positive or negative charge, depending on which particles remain in it more - protons or electrons.
Electric charges influence each other. A positive and negative charge attract each other, and two negative or two positive charges repel each other.
Experience: If you bring a negatively charged fishing line to an object, the negative charges of the object will move to its other end, and the positive charges, on the contrary, will move closer to the fishing line. The positive and negative charges of the fishing line and the object will attract each other, and the object will stick to the fishing line. This process is called electrostatic induction, and the object is said to be subjected to the electrostatic field of the fishing line.
Theoretical physicists: What is the connection between physics and living organisms?
Understanding the essence of life, its origin and evolution determines the entire future of humanity on Earth as a living species. Of course, a huge amount of material has now been accumulated, it is being carefully studied, especially in the field of molecular biology and genetics, there are schemes or models of development, there is even practical human cloning.
Moreover, biology reports many interesting and important details about living organisms, while missing something fundamental. The word “physics” itself, according to Aristotle, means “physis” - nature. Indeed, all the matter of the Universe, and therefore we ourselves, consists of atoms and molecules, for which quantitative and generally correct laws of their behavior have already been obtained, including at the quantum-molecular level.
Moreover, physics has been and remains an important factor in the overall development of the study of living organisms in general. In this sense, physics as a cultural phenomenon, and not just as a field of knowledge, creates the sociocultural understanding closest to biology. It is probably physical cognition that reflects thinking styles. Logical and methodological aspects of knowledge and natural science itself, as is known, are almost entirely based on the experience of the physical sciences.
Therefore, the task of scientific knowledge of living things may be to substantiate the possibility of using physical models and ideas to determine the development of nature and society, also on the basis of physical laws and scientific analysis of the knowledge obtained about the mechanism of processes in a living organism. As M.V. said 25 years ago. Wolkenstein, “in biology as the science of living things, only two ways are possible: either to recognize the impossible explanation of life on the basis of physics and chemistry, or such an explanation is possible and must be found, including on the basis of general laws characterizing the structure and nature of matter, substance and fields."
Biologists: Electricity in various classes of living organisms
At the end of the 18th century, the famous scientists Galvani and Volta discovered electricity in animals. The first animals on which scientists experimented to confirm their discovery were frogs. The cell is affected by various environmental factors - stimuli: physical - mechanical, temperature, electrical;
Electrical activity turned out to be an integral property of living matter. Electricity generates the nerve, muscle and glandular cells of all living creatures, but this ability is most developed in fish. Let us consider the phenomenon of electricity in warm-blooded living organisms.
FISH
It is currently known that out of 20 thousand modern fish species, about 300 are capable of creating and using bioelectric fields. Based on the nature of the discharges generated, such fish are divided into highly electric and weakly electric.
The first include freshwater South American electric
eels, African electric catfish and electric rays.
These fish generate very powerful discharges: eels, for example, with a voltage of up to 600 volts, catfish - 350. The current voltage of large sea rays is low, since sea water is a good conductor, but the current strength of their discharges, for example, the Torpedo ray, sometimes reaches 60 amperes.
Fish of the second type, for example, Mormyrus and other representatives of the beaked whale order, do not emit separate discharges. They send a series of almost continuous and rhythmic signals (pulses) of high frequency into the water, this field manifests itself in the form of so-called lines of force. If an object that differs in its electrical conductivity from water enters an electric field, the configuration of the field changes: objects with greater conductivity concentrate the power lilies around them, and those with less conductivity disperse them. Fish perceive these changes using electrical receptors located in most fish in the head area, and determine the location of the object. Thus, these fish perform true electrical location.
Almost all of them hunt primarily at night. Some of them have poor eyesight, which is why, in the process of long evolution, these fish have developed such a perfect method for detecting food, enemies, and various objects at a distance.
Physicists - practitioners: The techniques used by electric fish when catching prey and defending against enemies suggest technical solutions to humans when developing installations for electrofishing and repelling fish. Modeling of electrical fish location systems opens up exceptional prospects. In modern underwater location technology, there are no search and detection systems that would work in the same way as electrolocators created in nature’s workshop. Scientists from many countries are working hard to create such equipment.
AMPHIBIDES
To study the flow of electricity in amphibians, let's take Galvani's experiment. In his experiments, he used the hind legs of a frog connected to the spine. While hanging these preparations on a copper hook from the iron railing of the balcony, he noticed that when the limbs of the frog swayed in the wind, their muscles contracted with each touch of the railing. Based on this, Galvani came to the conclusion that the twitching of the legs was caused by “animal electricity” originating in the spinal cord of the frog and transmitted through metal conductors (the hook and the balcony railing) to the muscles of the limbs. Physicist Alexander Volta spoke out against Galvani’s statement about “animal electricity”. In 1792, Volta repeated Galvani’s experiments and established that these phenomena cannot be considered “animal electricity.” In Galvani's experiment, the current source was not the frog's spinal cord, but a circuit formed from dissimilar metals - copper and iron. Volta was right. Galvani's first experiment did not prove the presence of "animal electricity", but these studies attracted the attention of scientists to the study of electrical phenomena in living organisms. In response to Volta's objection, Galvani performed a second experiment, this time without the participation of metals. He threw the end of the sciatic nerve with a glass hook onto the muscle of the frog's limb - and at the same time contraction of the muscle was also observed.
Practicing physicists:
Task 1. Human death can occur with a current strength of 0.1A. What does this correspond to mortal tension? If the human body resistance is 100,000 ohms (1500 ohms).
Task No. 2. What is the current in a 220 V lighting network if the human body resistance is 100,000 Ohms (1500 Ohms).
Task No. 3. Thus, the giant electric stingray creates a voltage (discharge) of 50-60 V, the Nile electric catfish - 350 V, and the eel - electrophorus - over 500 V.
Conclusion: Human death can occur at high voltage and high resistance, or at low voltage and low resistance. Therefore, it all depends on the condition of the skin.
Conclusion:
- With great resistance from the human body, strong trembling of the fingers will occur.
- With little resistance from the human body, death will occur.
Conclusion: With direct current, a person with low resistance will feel a strong burning sensation in his hand, and a person with high resistance will not feel anything.
Biologists remind that the functions of all systems of the human body are under the control of the nervous system. Nervous tissue consists of 14 billion nerve cells. If a nerve cell is destroyed, it does not recover (unlike, for example, muscle tissue).
Doctors They state that stress, infectious diseases, and nervous shocks lead to the destruction of nerve cells. People should treat each other sympathetically, carefully, with respect and love and remember that the destruction of nerve cells is an irreversible process.
Theoretical physicists. Ionic conduction also occurs in a living organism. The formation and separation of ions in living matter is facilitated by the presence of water in the protein system. The dielectric constant of the protein system depends on it.
The charge carriers in this case are hydrogen ions - protons. Only in a living organism are all types of conductivity realized simultaneously.
The relationship between the different conductivities changes depending on the amount of water in the protein system. Today people do not yet know all the properties of the complex electrical conductivity of living matter. But what is clear is that it is on them that those fundamentally different properties that are inherent only to living things depend.
The cell is affected by various environmental factors - stimuli: physical - mechanical, temperature, electrical.
Teacher sums up the lesson.
STAGE 6 “Reflection”
TASKS: collective analysis of the lesson, evaluation of the lesson.
COORDINATOR: participates in collective analysis and evaluation of project results. He concludes for himself that with this method, students develop dialectical and systematic thinking, mental flexibility, and the ability to transfer and generalize knowledge from different subjects.
CREATIVE GROUP consisting of theoretical physicists, practical physicists, biologists, doctors, information support group: analyze and evaluate the results of the project. They conclude that students like classes that use interdisciplinary connections.
Student Projects
1. Electric eel (lat. Electrophorus electricus) - a fish from the order Cyprinidae, suborder Gymnotoidae, the only species of the genus Electrophorus. They inhabit the rivers of the northeastern part of South America and tributaries of the middle and lower reaches of the Amazon. Length from 1 to 3 m, weight up to 40 kg. The electric eel has bare skin, without scales, and the body is very elongated, rounded in the front and somewhat compressed laterally in the back. The color of adult electric eels is olive-brown, the underside of the head and throat is bright orange, the edge of the anal fin is light, and the eyes are emerald green. It is interesting that the electric eel develops special areas of vascular tissue in the oral cavity, which allow it to absorb oxygen directly from the atmospheric air. To capture a new portion of air, the eel must rise to the surface of the water at least once every fifteen minutes, but usually it does this somewhat more often. If the fish is deprived of this opportunity, it will die. The electric eel's ability to use atmospheric oxygen to breathe allows it to remain out of water for several hours, but only if its body and mouth remain moist. This feature ensures increased survival of eels in unfavorable living conditions.
Almost nothing is known about the reproduction of electric eels [source not specified 465 days]. Electric eels do well in captivity and often decorate large public aquariums. This fish is dangerous if you come into direct contact with it. An interesting thing about the structure of electric eels are the electrical organs, which occupy more than 2/3 of the body length [source not specified 465 days]. Generates a discharge with a voltage of up to 1300 V and a current of up to 1 A. The positive charge is in the front of the body, the negative charge is in the back. Electric organs are used by the eel to protect against enemies and to paralyze prey, which consists mainly of small fish. There is also an additional electric organ that plays the role of a locator.
2. Electric rays (lat. Torpediniformes) - a detachment of cartilaginous fish with kidney-shaped electrical organs on their sides. They do not, however, have the weak electrical organs present on either side of the tail in the rhomboid family. The head and body form a disc-shaped shape. The relatively short tail has a caudal fin as well as up to two upper fins. The order includes 4 families and 69 species. Electric stingrays are known for their ability to produce an electrical charge, the voltage of which (depending on the type) ranges from 8 to 220 volts. Stingrays use it defensively and can stun the enemy. Stingrays are excellent swimmers. Thanks to their rounded body, they literally float in the water and can swim for a long time in search of food without expending much effort.
Relationships with a person. The electrogenic properties of electric stingrays have been used for a long time. The ancient Greeks used them for pain relief during operations and childbirth.
Bioelectricity. Among living organisms, electric rays are known for their electrical sensitivity, as well as for their eyes located on top of their heads. Having extremely poor vision, they compensate with other senses, including detecting electricity. Many rays, even those not belonging to the electric ray family, have electrical organs located on the tail, but electric rays have two more organs on each side of the head, where the jet of water, when moving, creates a lifting force, causing the body to float. These organs are controlled by four central nerves on each side of the electrical lobe, or special medullary lobe, which is a different color from other parts of the brain. The main nerve canal is connected to the lower part of each accumulator plate, which is formed by hexagonal columns and has a honeycomb-like structure: each column contains from 140 thousand to half a million gelatinous plates. In marine fish, these batteries are connected in parallel, while in freshwater fish they are connected in series: salt water copes better than fresh water with transferring a high voltage charge. With the help of these batteries, a regular electric stingray can kill fairly large prey with a current of 30 amperes at a voltage of 50-200 volts.
3. Electric catfish. This is a fairly large fish: the length of some individuals exceeds 1 meter. The weight of a large individual can reach 23 kg. The body is elongated. The head bears three pairs of antennae. The eyes are small, glowing in the dark. The coloring is quite variegated: dark brown back, brownish sides and yellowish belly. Numerous dark spots are scattered throughout the body, the pectoral and ventral fins are pink, the caudal fin has a dark base and a wide red or orange-red edge. The electric catfish does not have a dorsal fin. The pectoral fins do not have spines.
Electric organ. The main feature of the electric catfish is the presence of electrical organs located over the entire surface of the body, directly under the skin. They make up 1/4 of the catfish's mass. An average-sized catfish (50 cm) is capable of generating voltages reaching 350 V; large individuals - up to 450 V with a current strength of 0.1-0.5 A - this gives grounds to classify the electric catfish as a highly electric fish.
The connective tissues serve as a kind of partition to divide the electrical organ into several columns, composed of a large number of muscle, nerve and glandular cells of a disk shape, called electrocytes or electrical plates, the membranes of which are electrical generators. The electric catfish has about 2 million electrocytes. Their connection with the nervous system is through branches of one large nerve cell in the spinal cord. In columns, electrocytes are arranged in such a way that the front side of one electrocyte is the reverse side of another. The opposite sides of the electrocyte are electrically polar, due to which the connection of the electrocytes is a series electrical connection. Thus, a significant increase in the total discharge voltage is achieved.
Area. Electric catfish can be found in turbid waters in coastal areas of ponds and rivers in tropical and subtropical Africa; prefers bodies of water with slow currents. According to Poll and Gosse (1969), males and females establish nests in holes dug in shallow water 1 to 3 meters deep. The size of the nest itself does not exceed 3 meters in length.
Lifestyle and nutrition. The electric catfish is a sedentary omnivorous fish. Hunts at night: the maximum degree of activity is observed 4-5 hours after sunset.] During night hunting, it actively probes nearby objects with its antennae, generating powerful discharges: it can produce more than 100 discharges per second. When its energy reserves are depleted, it “rests.” The electric organs serve the catfish not only for orientation in space: the damaging force of the electrical discharges is enough to paralyze or even kill small and medium-sized fish, which the electric catfish feeds on. The electric field around the catfish also leads to electrolysis of water, as a result of which the water is enriched with oxygen, which attracts fish and frogs, thereby making it easier for the electric catfish to find victims. The electric catfish is a territorial fish and is aggressive in its defense. protected from any kind of invasion.
Reproduction. Sexual dimorphism in electric catfish is not pronounced. The conditions for reproduction are poorly understood.] Regarding this issue, there are only speculative versions. According to the Arabs living on the banks of the Nile, it gives birth to live young, and throws them through its mouth (by some analogy with the lancelet, which throws its eggs through the mouth, and with Chromis multicolor, which develops eggs in its larynx and then fully developed fish thrown out of the mouth). According to another version, the female catfish digs a hole and, when finished, begins to make a kind of sound (see also Sorensen's statement below) to attract the male. When the latter approaches, he places eggs in it and waits for the male to fertilize it, and then immediately drives him away and, covering the eggs with his body, sits over it until the fry hatch from it. These versions are not supported by any evidence. Not a single researcher has had the opportunity to observe the spawning of electric catfish. Numerous attempts to combine a male and a female in an aquarium were unsuccessful, since after a week only one individual remained alive. All electric catfish that end up in captivity were caught in the wild.
Security status. According to CITES and IUCN, the existence of the electric catfish is not threatened. The fish population density is quite high. In some areas it is equal to one som per 10 m², and in Lake Tanganyika - one som per 2-3 m². This high rate is explained by the fact that the electric catfish is able to defend itself from almost any predator. Only humans and African tiger fish pose some danger to catfish.
Electric catfish and man. Application by man
Some properties of the electric catfish - primarily electrical - find their application in various areas of life.
Traditional medicine
Residents of Egypt and equatorial Africa have long used the electrical properties of catfish in folk medicine. In “The Revealed Secrets of Ancient Magicians and Sorcerers,” Galle writes: The Abyssinians cure three- and four-day fevers with convulsive and shaking fish. They untie the patient tightly on the table, touch all parts of his body with a convulsive fish, increase his fever, and leave him to tremble until the fever passes.
There are indications that local residents use this fish as a kind of physiotherapeutic method for the treatment of rheumatism. The famous ancient Roman physician Galen also recommended applying electric fish to the patient’s body. Some researchers report that the natives of Africa have long used the electric catfish to generally strengthen the body of their children: they force the children to touch it; place them in a barrel of water with fish; give large quantities of water in which the fish was located to drink. There is information that not only electrical properties are used for medicinal purposes: the natives of Africa and Arabs cut out the electrical organ of the catfish, burn it on coals and fumigate patients with this smoke.
Causing physical harm
There is evidence that highly electric fish (including electric catfish) under the guise of treatment were used to harm humans, for example, to punish weak slaves. If a slave felt weak, sick and could no longer work, then for the purpose of “healing” he was placed in a barrel of water with highly electric fish, which, in all likelihood, gave the patient additional motivation to recover and return to the work team. However, the evil intent of the slave owners is questionable, since such treatment was practiced on everyone, including children.
Electric catfish are kept in aquariums for aesthetic reasons, as well as for the purpose of studying them. At the same time, combining electric catfish with other fish in the same aquarium seems problematic, since the latter are constantly in danger of receiving an electric shock. Some amateur aquarists claim that over time, an electric catfish can become “tame”: for example, if a stranger tries to touch the fish, it will immediately shock him; if the fish is touched by a person to whom it is “accustomed”, then no blow will follow.
Use in scientific research
The electrical organs of catfish have been used in scientific studies of neuronal metabolism, axonal transport and transmitter secretion, as they are most suitable for this task due to their ability to be innervated by only one large neuron (Volknandt and Zimmerman, 1986; Janetzko, 1987).
Electric catfish living in the Ogba River (Nigeria), along with Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus, were used in a study of heavy metal pollution in this river (Obasohan, Oronsaye, Obano, 2006). The reason for choosing these particular fish was their abundance and prevalence as food for the local population.
Danger to humans
For humans, an electric catfish can pose some danger. There are known cases of electric shock when a person stepped on a catfish with his bare foot. However, from the same Halle one can find the following: Meanwhile, one black man took fish in the presence of Kaempferov very boldly and without any harm. Kaempfer investigated the mystery: he and others found that this stun could be rendered ineffective by holding one's breath while touching.
However, such an explanation cannot claim to be serious. Alfred Brehm also pointed out that the strength of the charge depends on the condition of the fish and that in some cases a catfish can be taken with complete impunity. The electric catfish poses the greatest danger to fishermen. Pejuel-Lesche reports: It causes great difficulties for the fisherman, since he catches it without a rod and does not like to let go of the line, because in doing so he may lose the hook so valuable to him. Linder in his trading post became convinced that, apparently, even a large fish of this species that had fallen asleep, with the force of its blow, could knock down a careless fisherman to the ground, and he observed how one inexperienced European was taught a lesson by the fish after ten minutes in just this way.
In ancient Egypt, the electric catfish was even known as “the one who saved many.” The reason for this title, apparently, was the fact that inexperienced Egyptian fishermen, having received an electric shock from a wet net, would let it go from their hands and lose their catch. Experienced fishermen, having seen an electric catfish among their catch, purposefully shook out all the caught fish back into the sea, fearing an electric shock.
Interesting facts
In Ancient Egypt, the electric catfish was depicted on the walls of temples more than 4000 BC (according to other sources, more than 5000 BC.
In Egypt, catfish are called “raash”, which is similar to the Arabic word “raad” (thunder). This may indicate that the inhabitants of the Nile Valley knew about the electrical nature of lightning long before Franklin. However, experts point to different etymologies of words and, thereby, to the illegality of the indicated conclusion. Sorensen claimed (1894) that the electric catfish is capable of emitting a hissing sound similar to that of a cat. However, this statement is still not supported by relevant evidence.
The electric catfish appears on some postage stamps of Zaire, Côte d'Ivoire, Uganda, Gambia, Mali and Nigeria.
Electricity in wildlife Travnikov Andrey 9 "B"
Electricity Electricity is a set of phenomena caused by the existence, interaction and movement of electrical charges.
Electricity in the Human Body The human body contains many chemicals (such as oxygen, potassium, magnesium, calcium, or sodium) that react with each other to create electrical energy. Among other things, this occurs in the process of so-called “cellular respiration” - the extraction by the cells of the body of energy necessary for life. For example, in the human heart there are cells that, in the process of maintaining the heart rhythm, absorb sodium and release potassium, which creates a positive charge in the cell. When the charge reaches a certain value, the cells acquire the ability to influence the contractions of the heart muscle.
Lightning Lightning is a giant electrical spark discharge in the atmosphere that can usually occur during a thunderstorm, resulting in a bright flash of light and accompanying thunder.
Electricity in fish All types of electric fish have a special organ that produces electricity. With its help, animals hunt and defend themselves, adapting to life in the aquatic environment. The electrical organ of all fish is designed the same, but differs in size and location. But why has no electrical organ been found in any land animal? The reason for this is as follows. Only water with salts dissolved in it is an excellent conductor of electricity, which makes it possible to use the action of electric current at a distance.
Electric stingray Electric stingrays are a detachment of cartilaginous fish in which kidney-shaped paired electrical organs are located on the sides of the body between the head and pectoral fins. The order includes 4 families and 69 species. Electric stingrays are known for their ability to produce an electrical charge, the voltage of which (depending on the type) ranges from 8 to 220 volts. Stingrays use it defensively and can stun prey or enemies. They live in tropical and subtropical waters of all oceans
Electric eel Length from 1 to 3 m, weight up to 40 kg. The electric eel has bare skin, without scales, and the body is very elongated, rounded in the front and somewhat compressed laterally in the back. The color of adult electric eels is olive-brown, the underside of the head and throat is bright orange, the edge of the anal fin is light, and the eyes are emerald green. Generates a discharge with a voltage of up to 1300 V and a current of up to 1 A. The positive charge is in the front of the body, the negative charge is in the back. Electric organs are used by the eel to protect against enemies and to paralyze prey, which consists mainly of small fish.
Venus Flytrap The Venus flytrap is a small herbaceous plant with a rosette of 4-7 leaves that grow from a short underground stem. The stem is bulbous. Leaves range in size from three to seven centimeters, depending on the time of year, long trap leaves usually form after flowering. In nature, it feeds on insects; sometimes mollusks (slugs) can be found. The movement of the leaves occurs due to an electrical impulse.
Mimosa pudica An excellent visual proof of the manifestation of action currents in plants is the mechanism of leaf folding under the influence of external stimuli in Mimosa pudica, which has tissues that can sharply contract. If you bring a foreign object to its leaves, they will close. This is where the name of the plant comes from.
By preparing this presentation, I learned a lot about organisms in nature and how they use electricity in their lives.
Sources http://wildwildworld.net.ua/articles/elektricheskii-skat http://flowerrr.ru/venerina-muholovka http:// www.valleyflora.ru/16.html https://ru.wikipedia.org
We use it daily. It is part of our daily life, and very often the nature of this phenomenon is unknown to us. We are talking about electricity.
Few people know that this term appeared almost 500 years ago. The English physicist William Gilbert studied electrical phenomena and noticed that many objects, like amber, attract smaller particles after rubbing. Therefore, in honor of the fossil resin, he named this phenomenon electricity (from the Latin Electricus - amber). By the way, long before Gilbert, the ancient Greek philosopher Thales noticed the same properties of amber and described them. But the right to be called a discoverer still went to William Gilbert, because in science there is a tradition - whoever began to study first is the author.
The people who tamed electricity
However, things did not go further than descriptions and primitive research. Only in the 17th–18th centuries did the issue of electricity receive significant coverage in the scientific literature. Among those who, after W. Gilbert, studied this phenomenon, one can name Benjamin Franklin, who is known not only for his political career, but also for his research into atmospheric electricity.
The unit of measurement of electric charge and the law of interaction of electric charges are named after the French physicist Charles Coulomb. No less significant contributions were made by Luigi Galvani, Alessandro Volt, Michael Faraday and Andre Ampere. All these names have been known since school. Our compatriot Vasily Petrov, who discovered the voltaic arc at the beginning of the 19th century, also conducted his research in the field of electricity.
"Volta Arc"
We can say that, starting from this time, electricity ceases to be the machinations of natural forces and gradually begins to enter the lives of people, although to this day mysteries remain in this phenomenon.
We can definitely say: if electrical phenomena did not exist in nature, then it is possible that nothing like this would have been discovered until now. In ancient times, they frightened the fragile mind of man, but over time he tried to tame electricity. The results of these actions are such that it is no longer possible to imagine life without him.
Humanity was able to “tame” electricity
How does electricity manifest itself in nature?
Naturally, when the conversation turns to natural electricity, lightning immediately comes to mind. The above-mentioned American politician was the first to study them. By the way, in science there is a version that lightning had a significant impact on the development of life on Earth, since biologists have established the fact that the synthesis of amino acids requires electricity.
Lightning is a powerful discharge of electricity
Everyone knows the feeling when, when you touch someone or something, an electrical discharge occurs, causing slight inconvenience. This is a manifestation of the presence of electrical currents in the human body. By the way, the nervous system functions due to electrical impulses that come from the irritated area to the brain.
Signals are transmitted electrically within brain neurons
But not only humans generate electric currents within themselves. Many inhabitants of the seas and oceans are capable of generating electricity. For example, an electric eel is capable of creating a voltage of up to 500 volts, and the charge power of a stingray reaches 0.5 kilowatts. In addition, certain types of fish use an electric field that they create around themselves, with the help of which they can easily navigate in muddy water and at depths where sunlight does not penetrate.
Amazon River electric eel
Electricity at the service of man
All this became the prerequisites for the use of electricity for domestic and industrial purposes. Already in the 19th century, it began to be used regularly, primarily for indoor lighting. Thanks to him, it became possible to create equipment for transmitting information over vast distances using radio, television and telegraph.
Electricity for transmitting information
Nowadays it is difficult to imagine life without electric current, because all the usual devices operate exclusively on it. Apparently, this was the impetus for the creation of electrical energy storage devices (batteries) and electric generators for those places where high-voltage poles have not yet reached.
In addition, electricity is the engine of science. Many instruments that scientists use to study the world around them are also powered by it. Gradually, electricity is conquering space. Powerful batteries are installed on spaceships, and solar panels are being built on the planet and wind turbines are installed, which receive energy from nature.
Electricity engine science
And yet this phenomenon is still shrouded in mystery and darkness for many people. Even despite school education, some admit that they do not fully understand the principles of how electricity works. There are also those who are confused about the terms. They are not always able to explain the difference between voltage, power and resistance.