What is electricity? How does it work? Nikola Tesla's AC vs DC

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Tesla imagined impossible technologies more than a hundred years ago. He and Thomas Edison have arguably had more of an impact on modern technology than any other scientists.
Tesla’s biggest contribution may be his innovations in alternating current technology, and the invention of the AC motor.
The adoption of this technology was not easy because Thomas Edison’s direct current systems had been the standard early on. What is AC and DC, and why is one superior to the other?
Atoms have a positively charged nucleus and negatively charged electrons surrounding the nucleus. But electrons in the outermost shell of the atom, called the valence shell, can sometime become free due to external forces. These electrons can move from one atom to another. This is what can cause a movement of charge, which is what electricity is. An electrical current is the flow of free electrons from one atom to another.
The relationship between current, voltage, and resistance is described by Ohm’s law, Voltage = Current x Resistance
Current (amps) is the rate at which the charges flow. It is analogous to the rate of flow of the water in a hose. Voltage (volts) is the force required to make current flow. It is analogous to the water pressure in a hose. Resistance (ohms) is a material’s tendency to resist the flow of charge. This is like diameter of the hose. The smaller the hose, the higher the resistance.
DC is similar to the normal flow of water through the hose that we see. The water flows in one direction. AC is like the water flowing back and forth within the hose 50 or 60 times per second, 50 Hertz or 60 Hertz. This is where the water analogy is not so great, because water doesn’t flow back and forth in a hose.
AC won over DC because of efficiency and power delivery. Power is like the volume of water coming out of the hose.
The formula formula for power is P = I x V. The same amount of power can be transmitted either at high current and low voltage, or low current and high voltage. But one is better than the other.
The longer this cable is, the more resistance there is in the power line. When you pass a current through resistance, you create heat, given by Joule’s equation for electric heat, Heat = I^2 R
Heat is wasted energy, so it is crucial to minimize it. Since I = P/V, if we substitute it back into the heat equation. We see that Heat equals Power squared times resistance R, divided by voltage squared. We want to MAXIMIZE voltage V to minimize heat.
In modern electric power grids, electricity is routinely transmitted for hundreds of kilometers at hundreds of thousands of volts. But voltage can't be this high when it arrives at your home because it would be dangerous. So, it has to be stepped down before it gets to your house. This is done via a transformer which reduces voltage from hundreds of thousands of volts to between 110 to 240 volts.
This stepping up and stepping down of voltage is where alternating current is superior to direct current. Direct current cannot be easily transformed from low voltage to high voltage and visa versa, but alternating current can. And here’s the reason why: When alternating current passes through a coil, it produces a constantly changing magnetic flux, per Maxwell’s equations. If we put a loop or ring of iron through the coil, it can concentrate the changing magnetic flux to within the ring.
Now if we wind another coil around the other side of this ring, we can create electricity and induce voltage within the new coil. The voltage created in the second coil is proportional to the number of loops we place around the iron ring. Using this method we can transform voltage from high to low and vice versa.
But transformers like this require a time-varying voltage to function, so only alternating current works. In Edison and Tesla’s time, there was no easy way to transform voltage with direct current.
Can devices work equally well with DC or AC current? Many devices-like light bulbs-can.
Was DC really a losing concept? No. Most high tech appliances today that are powered batteries, like your laptop, cell phone, and iPad are all powered by direct current.
#nikolatesla
#currentwars
Also, in the 20th century, engineers figured out a way to transmit electricity using high voltage direct current, or HVDC. HVDC is even more efficient than high voltage AC for transmitting electricity over very large distances, because smaller cheaper lines can be used to transmit the same amount of power, and there is less induction loss because no changing magnetic field exists with DC, unlike with AC. But the cost of DC transformers is millions of dollars vs. thousands of dollars for AC transformers. So HVDC is only cost effective for very long transmission lines.

[@rhouser1280]

I’ve been Electrical & Instrument tech at a power plant for 15 yrs & I still got useful information off of this lol, your videos are great! 👍

[@ArvinAsh]

Awesome. Glad to hear it!

[@theoverthinkingalien224]

@@ArvinAsh Not that I'm doubting your knowledge or criticising your content- I've just discovered you and am enjoying your videos- but can I ask what your credentials are? Are you an academic of some sort? A technician? A teacher? Just an enthusiast? I'm asking only out of curiosity.

[@Josep_Hernandez_Lujan]

@@theoverthinkingalien224 From his website: Arvin’s Bio At the risk of coming across as an erudite, my educational background is rather eclectic, as I hope my videos are. I have 3 degrees. A Bachelors in Chemical Engineering, a Masters In Mechanical engineering, and an MBA. In addition, I have 2 years of medical school. I taught intermediate physics, advanced physics, and robotics as a grad student in college. Yes, I was in school forever, and wish I stayed longer.

[@theoverthinkingalien224]

@@Josep_Hernandez_Lujan Jesus, fair play to the guy. He's legit, I'll give him that

[@bradbiggs4283]

Same. Electrical tech at a power plant and now I build and repair amps and sound equipment for rock n' roll bands. The way he made a moving visual of the exchange of electrons is simple, yet incredibly helpful to "get it" at the base level. It's so hard to picture things operating at the quantum level.

[@balazsadorjani1263]

Whoah...! Since high school, I struggled to understand electricity (I'm 31 now). Neither my physics teacher, nor my father (electricity technician) were able to provide a satisfying explanation in the topic throughout all those years. And here comes Arvin, and explains it in a 15 minutes video. And that light bulb in my head just started to shine, as finally, I got that intuitive grasp regarding this topic. I am amused, astonished, and I am happy. Thank you, sir! A great, annoying blindspot of my life has been solved.

[@ArvinAsh]

Wow! Glad it was helpful.

[@diegofcm92]

Same here!

[@pseudorealityisreal]

You will be surprised how many of us are in the same boat (we need a ship). I am in my 40s, and still struggle with these basic concepts. Thankfully, this very same technology has enabled us to learn and improve no matter our age. Special thanks to @Arvin Ash.

[@frickxnas]

glad you had an epiphany. i managed to resolve some concerns too.

[@destroytheboxes]

But stay within the norms of your day and dont be eccentric 😢

[@openlifestyle4198]

This is one of the most criminally underrated channels on KZbin. Thank you for your content!!

[@glass7923]

Then share it.

[@cryptoskinz3815]

You said It👍

[@mikihog]

Tesla is one of the most criminally underrated scientist in history

[@wesbaumguardner8829]

His description of electromagnetic phenomena is criminally incorrect.

[@vedantsridhar8378]

@@glass7923 Exactly I was about to say that. I shared this to my whole family and I would have shared it to my friends too, but unfortunately they don't have interest in physics

[@VoyagerLife826]

I absolutely love how you visually explain these things makes it 10000x easier to understand

[@fretworkinmotion3711]

Whenever I see that picture of Tesla like in this thumbnail, it looks like he’s giving this tiny sly smirk and posture as if to say he knows the great mysteries of the Universe but he’s deliberately withholding the knowledge just to tease us 😉.

[@SkywalkerSamadhi]

I always think that this is the pic he would of chosen if he had a Tinder profile.

[@ralph72462]

Correct!

[@SirGryflet]

@@SkywalkerSamadhi Except that Tesla had no interest in women.

[@Petrov3434]

@@SirGryflet And - for a specific reason... His OCD was untreated -- he was afraid of physical contact (germs, etc.). Always good to know a full rather than a superficial half-story

[@SirGryflet]

@@Petrov3434 ok, perhaps Tesla would be more the eHarmony type of guy

[@tomorrowland9]

I like it when he says " that's coming up right now"

[@dawid_dahl]

Because dopamine is the reward molecule of anticipation.

[@bacharchemaly289]

All rights reserved

[@BrianOSheaPlus]

It's not a coincidence. It's his tagline, just like Anton's "hello, wonderful person" and Matt's "... spacetime".

[@elwoodzmake]

@@BrianOSheaPlus lol, someone who knows Anton. Greetings, wonderful person.

[@BrianOSheaPlus]

@@elwoodzmake I'm guessing there is probably a lot of overlap between subscribers of this channel, Anton's, and PBS Spacetime.

[@picksalot1]

Thanks for making another highly illucidating video. I love that you make sure to include every key step necessary to understand how a system actually works!

[@EnterSports1]

It’s a gift that you can take such a complex subject and simplify it so graciously! I’m grateful for such a great instructor.

[@desireekanui5799]

EXACTLY

[@vnaykmar7]

Hearing and learning science through such soothing voice has always been one of my dreams. Thank you sir. Love and respect from India.

[@xspotbox4400]

Electrical engineering was more an alchemy in Tesla times, it was about purified elements, arcane geometry, transcendental influences and such. He didn't understand many things we know today, so he created powerful charges trying to achieve something we know it can't be done today, because physical limitations. It's interesting how he formed his big vision inside his head, look at his inventions, they all complement one another in some strange ways, like he was building an UFO device, but from a scratch, in a sense he bought a shovel and get out to dig some dirt he could transmute into some useful part. But than most of the times he couldn't, so he was nagging his colleges to manufacture this and that for him to build his concepts. This is what makes Tesla so special, he was a very serious industrial engineer, but also a child who had a dream to build himself a vehicle and explore what lies beyond horizon. Universities don't make people like that anymore this days.

[@ArvinAsh]

Good points!

[@electronresonator8882]

why would Universities do that ? people like Tesla move in his own way, if you're rule maker you kick such people out of your community, Edison did that to him, there's reason why a certain rule exist, no matter what the reason is, Tesla just simply ignore that

[@justanotherguy469]

@@electronresonator8882 As in, "Where do you put the meter"? "There is no meter". The next week his lab burned down. Tesla was extracting energy from the vacuum , and the banking and oil cartels could not have that. Tesla knew 100 years ago, what we are just coming to understand today. I wonder why Professor Ash did not include this important point in his video?

[@runs_through_the_forest]

@@justanotherguy469 because "conspiracy" is taboo among scientists, even if the word simply means deals are done in secret, that's pretty much done on most upper levels of social hierarchy every day, in government and corporations.. now i do have to say you make bold claims with that "zero point energy" stuff, i'm not saying something like that isn't possible, but for now there's no proof for it.. what i am convinced about is that tech is way more advanced in military and black projects then we can imagine, as in at least 40 years further then what we get to see.. :p

[@justanotherguy469]

@@runs_through_the_forest I agree with you 100%. You should check out T. Henry Moray, Thomas Townsend Brown, and John Huchinson. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJuVhKKtjLuXbMk&feature=emb_logo en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Townsend_Brown kzbin.info/www/bejne/laS8eayroqysZ6s

[@mj1653]

This is best science channel on KZbin. Also in case anyone is wondering the great courses plus really is an awesome service. I signed up a while back and have been hooked.

[@myronmcclaryii5903]

Mr. Ash is an accomplished speaker, he aptly explained a complicated subject. Many scientist, teachers cannot. They know what they are talking about, they just can't explain it in layman's terms. All who teach should be well skilled communicators. Brilliant.

[@ninamira5755]

That's one of the most useful channel on KZbin, every student must watch it, thank you

[@pratikdahal9784]

A new person is joining the list of your subscribers, right now.

[@iLuv3POINT14]

@Arvin Ash I have to thank you for your content, dedication, and the thoroughness with which you cover subjects. These videos are helpful beyond words for me.

[@abhishek_886]

Can't believe you have only 303k subscribers, you deserve more

[@1adamgriffin1]

Be sure to like his vids. Helps with the algorithm to generate more visibility.

[@curdyco]

@@DendrocnideMoroides it's 311k not 306k

[@ameenullakhan3769]

Absolutely correct 😎😭

[@derekleiro]

@@DendrocnideMoroides It's 314k not 312k

[@faizahmad8738]

315K not 314K

[@pranayranjan3777]

This is one of the best and simplest explanations of the concept of electricity... Even a high school student could understand... So next time I'll use this explanation in my high school physics lectures in electricity topic

[@XEinstein]

Awesome video Arvin! Basically you started by explaining the physics I learned in university and continued explaining my career as a HV electrical engineer. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@joshuaabraham7308]

I soo can't believe I didn't find this channel until now! This channel strikes too close to everything I love! Love your work Arvin ❤️!

[@ArvinAsh]

Welcome aboard!

[@shaguftanaz7647]

Thanks for written statements according to your video uploaded topics.It has made the given topics easy for us.Your speech is also clear but oral and written statements both are the most easiest medium for clear understanding. That's why your channel is my favourite ones.

[@stuglenn1112]

It's about time for some Volt-wagen pulling a mobile-Ohm jokes.

[@devanshsengar1877]

It's good to hear that.🙏👌

[@bookashkin]

The jokes should be short enough to fit on an Ampere-sticker.

[@texasnewt]

Clever!

[@lucidmoses]

Nice to see a more realistic story about Tesla.

[@simonrodriguez4685]

Although he went a little into the other extreme of being somewhat dismissive.

[@holyhex6520]

@@simonrodriguez4685 "He (Tesla) was one of the most forward-thinking, dynamic visionaries who ever lived." These were his direct words. Doesn't sound dismissive to me.

[@madhunayak165]

Awesome video best one I have watched so far on tje topic explained everything so intuitively Keep it up!!😀

[@omkarbansode6305]

Sir very much thankyou. I read this whole thing in my textbook but understand very very less. But after seeing your video lecture every thing is crystal clear🤗🙏🙏

[@hirenhs1298]

You doing a great work keep it up making complex problems simple and inspired me to learn physics thank you from bottom of my heart 😇😊❤❤❤Love from India🇮🇳

[@MultiSciGeek]

Man some really great stuff here to refresh and connect the dots, however I would like to see a more in depth follow up.

[@formerx]

Excellent lesson! I like that you tied up the current wars by stating that DC current has value as well.

[@erickwawire7392]

I've been wondering about electricity 4 so long but now I've gotten a glimpse of it.Thanks very much.

[@abhishekray5498]

I think this channel will be the most respectful channel on YT in future.

[@CaptainPeterRMiller]

Arvin, a very interesting discussion about electricity. Another great video. New projects being developed In Australia will see Huge solar farms producing electricity which will be sent on a 4500 km cable to Singapore using high voltage direct current. What an amazing endeavour.

[@justanotherguy469]

Tesla demonstrated getting free energy from the vacuum. He went to J.P. Morgan for financing. Morgan asked him, "Where do you put the meter"? Tesla replied, "There is no meter". His lab burned down a week later.

[@anullhandle]

Tesla was concerned with wireless transmission of energy. No c!aim of free energy was made.

[@lgzz4885]

Sir Arvin Ash I like many people watch ur vids & also follow a ton of other science YTers… but you sir give some of the most simplistic easy to follow explanations out there. I have a top 25 & your in top 5 easy! Good job mannn👏 I’ll prob watch every video so keep it coming 😃

[@roblindsey-nassif4433]

I love your videos. You present things so clearly and compellingly. Thank you!

[@Lensbreak]

2:52 "What is ACDC anyways?" xD

[@RickyConnelley]

It’s when thunderstruck, turning the highway to hell while using a heat seeker. ;p

[@Jo333eL]

@@RickyConnelley Nice comment, thx for that ;D

[@pabingurung3272]

ac current and DC current

[@destinyovbiebo8988]

DC=direct current while AC=alternate current. If you need more information about it, let me know, so that we can go deep in magnetism and electricity in physics.

[@DeluxeSlayer]

@@destinyovbiebo8988 Dude he was making a joke while quoting the video. How dumb are you? Lol the joke really went right over your head. I'm pretty sure everyone knows what dc and ac is after watching this video.

[@justexpressingmyself397]

Thanks for KZbin... What my teacher didn't know how to explain in my schools days i founded here

[@johnrivera3746]

You have amazing videos! I really like how you explain the why and how to do many things. Thank you!

[@KBIbanez1989]

You really explained everything great. Don’t know why my professors never used the water and pipe analogy to teach electrical theory.

[@spacebarbarian._]

Finally, a video to feed your curiosity about this widely popular topic in the right way, which is just one feat of the hundred's of others made by Tesla!

[@wholeNwon]

Before rural electrification, my grandparents had a Delco system at their house with a gasoline generator and a wall of acid batteries in the garage. DC lights and some appliances.

[@willbarron888]

My Grandfather had a Delco DC system as well! He & his wife ran a small tropical disease research lab 🔬 for ten years without issue using the Delco DC generator system.

[@SameAsAnyOtherStranger]

I bet grandpa went through a lot of lead acid batteries since those those things aren't very good for electricity storage but do good enough at discharging peak voltage to start an engine to get maximally recharged again.

[@SidewaysMaped]

Best explanation of ac vs dc I’ve ever seen. Great work

[@VeNoM0619]

Best intro so far. It keeps the flow.

[@kshitijpandey6514]

Can you make a video on photoelectric effect for which Einstein won the Noble prize and its uses

[@adamraiyan]

needed

[@spacebarbarian._]

oh yeah its intresting but you are speaking bout it like you need it for a boring school project.. 😂

[@The_Universal_Trends]

Yeah Arvin pls

[@vunlevi3367]

basically the birth of quantum mechanics

[@codetech5598]

Ah, the misunderstood effect which launched Einstein to rock-star fame and foisted the nonsense of quantum mechanics upon the world, retarding the progress of science for 100 years, just as Tesla had warned against.

[@russyork313]

That was awesome video, I am a professional auto technician and I still learned a lot from your video. Appreciate what you do, and all the work you put in. I find your videos always extremely entertaining, helpful and just plain fun to watch.

[@ArvinAsh]

I appreciate that! Glad you enjoy them.

[@nuckchorris1396]

Arvin remember that what you do for learning is the greatest contribution to this earth, thank you for existing and making videos like this

[@ArvinAsh]

Thank you. I appreciate your encouraging words.

[@husseinhassanhh]

Thanks M. for all your precious information on line

[@richardfeynman5560]

Wonderful explanations, this video and virtually all the others on this channel should be shown in schools and universities. Maybe some good teachers are doing this, I hope so at least. When I studied physics three decades ago, we would have been delighted to have this as an introduction!

[@TNTsundar]

Arvin: Great video as always! Liked it. Thank you. I have a question about the future of electricity. Today there are ways we could wirelessly charge using Qi chargers at close proximities and soon using Radio waves at a larger distance. But what if someone is to invent the next form of harnessing and channelling energy over longer distance using Quantum Mechanical concepts? What is the next big leap that could possibly happen in transferring energy wirelessly and are we at a dead end when it comes to innovation in such fundamental areas?

[@nicksgarage8295]

Wireless power loss is proportional to distance squared, inverse square law. It is very inefficient, which is why wireless tech for industrial power does not work.

[@sambit1837]

What a video. I genuinely like it.it cleared all my basic concepts regarding current.thanku sir

[@joeysaavedra56]

Excellent! Mr. Arvin, on theory of electrical transmission, a design discussion is also great.

[@Petrov3434]

Hi Arvin, another excellent video. Two comments: 1. I am very happy you mentioned HVDC for long distance transmission. Although I am an electronics engineer I learned about that only recently. Apparently transmission losses are smaller with DC for distances greater than 600 Km. China is among countries building DC infrastructure to distribute power (including wind, solar, hydro, coal generated) across very large distances - within China but also to export electricity - potentially all the way to Europe (Germany). Absolutely amazing - for several reasons including using the full cross section of cable (AC uses only "skin" surface) 2. Nikola Tesla was indeed a Serb engineer born in Croatia. A lot is written about his eccentricity, etc. Actuality is different: Tesla suffered from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder -- a form of mental illness that is very easy to control -- via self-administering ERP (exposure - response prevention) therapy. Unfortunately, OCD was poorly understood at his time -- hence his obsession with anything in three, using his own utensils, not touching people, staying in particular hotel room, etc. If OCD is not treated -- the effects mushroom and escalate into tremendous suffering -- see the tragic Howard Hughes case (he fell into hands of unscrupulous Mormon physicians who isolated him and amplified his OCD with drugs and other mistreatments into paranoia -- in order to redirect his immense wealth in Mormon church coffers). Poor Tesla in his old age become completely self-isolated -- famous for enjoying feeding pigeons Once again, a great video and on an important subject. There is a false hagiography about all kind of other "inventions" of genius Tesla -- I am happy you left that out. He was a great inventor and visionary, true -- but also a noble and humane person - not greedily consumed by wealth (example of his declining of huge royalty when his employer was in financial difficulty), fame and glory. The tragedy is that his OCD suffering went untreated because of limitations of medical diagnosis and treatment at his time.

[@ArvinAsh]

Excellent supplementary info! Thanks for sharing.

[@PowerScissor]

Question I've always wondered about skin effect. If it only uses the skin, can cables have a cheap material or hollow core, and only put the expensive conductor metal in the "skin" area?

[@garypautard1069]

I read somewhere that NTs OCD also ruined his marriage . During meal times whilst his wife was preparing dinner as usual Tesla was busy measuring the volume of the soup bowls, it seems this was too much and shortly after she returned with their child to her parents.

[@goodyalphonse268]

Please tell Me More About this HVDC Electricity and Transmission. And About The Skin Surface Transmission. Please. 🙏

[@asafaingram9088]

I've always found it difficult to picture electricity. This made it a lot easier. Thanks.

[@davidroux7987]

Very nicely explained thank you. I learned about the differences between AC and DC transmission lines 😊

[@gracechen2412]

Thank you for your explanation! I finally understand the cones of AC vs DC!

[@jlpsinde]

Amazing video, I started to support him on Patreon.

[@johntexas8417]

Tesla?

[@anshunino]

@@johntexas8417 F

[@andrewcarson5850]

I just learnt loads of things I should already have known.

[@Shadow_B4nned]

This is one of the best preliminary discussions of electricity I've seen. A deeper nuance is in learning the nuclear physics of it. To create electricity a free electron moves through the conductive band to an atom with a higher electron affinity. As the electron ionizes the target's as it moves through the voltage gate. The target becomes ionized, energized and power is liberated from within the target.

[@anthonyfadairo5097]

You did justice to the topic. Hats off to you....

[@nasim3269]

Although AC is the main transmission system, DC is also used to connect different AC transmission systems, and in electronics, both DC and AC are used, such as in a car where you have an alternator which creates AC and then a rectifier creates DC out of that and powers your air bag system for example.

[@theultimatereductionist7592]

So Tesla + Edison were the original AC/DC rock stars!

[@mayanrebels851]

lol

[@mihsuo8380]

Except DC wasnt even Edison idea. Edison didnt have any unique inventions. He was businessman, not scientist.

[@shankz8854]

@@mihsuo8380 Edison came up with dozens of inventions including the phonograph and the electric chair. He also invented many improvements on existing technologies. Nikola Tesla himself admired the young Edison. You’re right though - Edison wasn’t a scientist...but then neither was Tesla really. Tesla would most accurately be described as an inventor and electrical engineer. He never graduated from University, never discovered any scientific principles or laws/theories, never taught science to university students, never published any scientific papers and never referred to himself as a scientist.

[@texasnewt]

Very true, but even so, Tesla couldn't do the duck walk like Angus!

[@vaibhavagrawal3083]

@@shankz8854 he soon didnt admire edison, he started to know the true character of that evil bastard

[@artistsandipsingh]

I randomly found your video and now subscribed, thank you for wonderful content from India.

[@tafghz2301]

Really good video. Thank you and keep them coming.

[@metalmogul4691]

Tesla is a very important person for his time. His ideas have an incredible influence on electrical use today.

[@richardly1543]

Captain obvious

[@keralajanasevakendram9518]

It's so great that now days ,the name Tesla is everywhere around the globe. Finally the most dynamic inventor of all time got the respect he deserved.

[@tuneboyz5634]

Athe machane 😊

[@DaniiMarie333]

Earth is flat

[@ramduhawmifanai3910]

Thanks for your channel...👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿keep it up man🙌🏿...ruah a sur mek

[@haofengxd2161]

i finally know why should they step up the voltage to very high, and the equation are really nice, ty

[@JeRRY-xw6xj]

I remember taking all these classes for my Engineering Undergrad. The AC calculations were always the most difficult along with the concepts.

[@MA-qz1sd]

You can use many of the same concepts you used in dc.

[@dragonvarine7553]

@@MA-qz1sd Yes until you deal with Maxwell equations.

[@rickjensen2717]

This is very good but is a bit of a simplification - electricity isn't actually the flow of electrons in a conductor, but the creation and flow of energy in the electric field around the wires.

[@ameenullakhan3769]

Your videos are easily understable ❤️. We expect more videos from your sir.👍

[@TheBeliever-vu8wc]

The best explanation of volt and current. Excellemt video

[@wretchedfibs4306]

Such simple equations; I = V/R, wavelength = c/frequency and the length of the year = c/g. There should be a connection between them all. (but is this the case?) . would love to see you do Fourier and Laplace transforms since you're such good teacher.

[@nicksgarage8295]

^^

[@mr88cet]

Excellent video, Arvin! Electrical Engineer here: I personally wouldn’t put resistance in there with voltage and current; resistance is *derived from* voltage and current, as are capacitance and inductance. Voltage and current are more fundamental. In particular, a device wherein the voltage across it is proportional to the current through it is a resistor, and its resistance is the constant of proportion between the two. Similarly, a capacitor is a device where the voltage across it is proportional to the *integral* (i.e., calculus) of the current through it. Similarly, an inductor is a device where the voltage across it is proportional to the *derivative* of the current through it. What makes voltage and current more basic than resistance, capacitance and inductance? Power, as you pointed out! In physics, power is always the product (i.e., multiplication) of a *flow variable* and an *between variable* . In electrical systems, Power is product of the voltage *between* the two leads of a circuit element, and the current *flow* through that circuit element. In a linear mechanical system, power is the product of the force applied to it *between* it and the ground (or some other object) and the resulting flow - speed of movement - of that object. In a rotational mechanical system, the “between” variable is a torque, and the “flow” variable is rotational velocity (in radians/second or RPM, say). Mechanical friction then is analogous with electrical resistance: Friction requires you to apply a constant continuous force to an object just to keep it moving at the same speed, just as a constant, continuous voltage must be applied to a resistor to get a constant current through it. In both cases, the resistor or mechanical object *dissipate power* equal to the “between variable” (voltage or force) times the flow variable (current or speed). A mechanical capacitor is a spring, and a mechanical inductor is an inertial mass. If you put an inertial mass onto the end of a spring, it will bob up and down, because energy in that system switches back and forth between potential energy in the spring, and kinetic energy in the mass. Similarly, you can create a simple electrical oscillator by connecting a capacitor to an inductor: energy switches off between potential (voltage) energy in the capacitor and kinetic (current) energy in the inductor.

[@ArvinAsh]

Good points! Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

[@tarkin1980apa]

When you say that resistance is derived, I'm not sure what that means. Does a conductor not have a physical innate resistance until it's connected to a power source? English is not my first language so maybe that's why I'm confused.

[@robertrocheville7769]

@@tarkin1980apa Pretty much. When you flow current through a wire the resistance will change with the amount and type of current that is passing(DC or AC) along with other factors like whether a magnetic field can influence the wire.

[@nathanielkilmer5022]

@@tarkin1980apa Materials have a property know as resistivity, and resistance is derived from a combination of the resistivity, the physical shape of the material (volume, area, etc), temperature, and maybe some other stuff I'm forgetting. Resistance is part of the "lumped element" abstraction, which are properties derived from more fundamental physical laws (Maxell's Eqs, etc).

[@mr88cet]

tarkin1980, reasonable question. Electrical resistance is certainly an innate material property, but it has no electrical meaning without putting a voltage across a sample of that material and then measuring, or using, the current that flows through it. It’s conceptually possible to create an alternative system of equations to describe electrical circuits, in terms of, say, voltage and resistance. However, such an alternative system makes it very hard to describe, for example, capacitors and indicators.

[@caterpillarwish]

A superb, simple explanation. Thank you

[@MrBollocks10]

Really enjoyed that. Shows you're never to old to learn or education is wasted on the young. I'm sure there's a lesson somewhere. I vaguely remember this at school but it never sunk in. You make it so easy and enjoyable, Thanks.

[@ArvinAsh]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@inuka6969]

*That's coming up right now!*

[@MegaSolidninja]

I'm about 3 mins into the video and only now I realized that when he says AC he might not be referring to air-conditioning 😂

[@anthonysilas6038]

Great job...! Every thing is well explained.

[@x-rayvision720]

Please make a video on dual nature of light I hv so many confusions. Your videos are amazing.

[@lawrencemoore5701]

Thanks again Arvin, you do an amazing job explaining complex concepts. I learn something new each time I watch you, and my 17 and 13-year-old daughters are getting more and more excited about physics thanks to people like you and Neil deGrasse Tyson having the energy and excitement that you do. Really appreciate your hard work! Keep it up!

[@ArvinAsh]

I appreciate that! Glad to hear your daughters are interested in this stuff. Science needs more women.

[@4plum]

@ArvinAsh But if Heat Loss = I^2 x R and I = V / R then Heat Loss = (V^2 / R^2) x R = V^2 / R So according to this, Heat Loss is proportional to the square of the voltage - exact opposite from what you are showing. What is going wrong?

[@DavidOShaughnessy-vw1qf]

I love to learn and to teach. You have expanded my concepts in both. With your clarity.

[@gondipalliomprakashkiran3562]

​@@4plummay be that power is not there in that equation which is needed to be constant while we change voltage

[@GururajBN]

Basic electric engineering in 14 minutes! Wonderful 👌 But I am sorry to know that Edison also had closed mind and indulged in disparaging or suppressing new technology.

[@sevenseven6123]

Great video. Would be cool to explain how a DC converter works. That was the only thing I felt missing after you mentioned it.

[@carloshortuvia5988]

Thank you for your brief and clear introductions to physics topics.

[@salmanpatel1508]

Nikola Tesla : Great Inventor. Thomas Edison : Deep Narcissist.

[@Mukation]

Edison was a buisnessman first.

[@haider9874]

@@Mukation he made money out of other peoples work, stealing booth the credit and underpaying relative to the value of their inventions

[@Mukation]

@@haider9874 Like any cutthroat buisnessman. What's your point? Edison was, as i said, a buisnessman first. He didn't care about his inventions, he cared about making money.

[@haider9874]

@@Mukation my point is that Edison is a overrated scumbag....

[@electronresonator8882]

Edison is a famous and wealthy Technopreneur at his time, there's reason that he's Elon role model, and you know who's Elon right now, they both resonate really well

[@the1barbarian781]

You explain things so well. Thank you

[@frommymind4639]

Great job using water as an analogy for electricity since it behaves in much the same way when regarding flow.

[@avah2579]

This was so helpful! Thank you!

[@abdallahismail177]

Thanks Arvin, great video as always, albeit with a bit of disappointment :( There I was thinking "finally, someone will talk about electricity in copper from a condensed matter quantum theory perspective" only to find that this is just another ohm's law, water analogy, video on electricity ... Heartbreaking 💔 Still enjoyed it though 😊 Thanks again!

[@ArvinAsh]

Maybe a good topic for a future video.

[@abdallahismail177]

@@ArvinAsh thanks for taking the time to reply 🙏 I feel like this topic gets lost in the conversation. Engineers are perfectly happy with Maxwell. Physicists are interested in more abstract concepts. Can someone explain circuit theory in quantum terms? A battery connected to a resistor with copper wire, what happens? How about Faraday's law of induction? Or how a simple dipole antenna is made to radiate at RF frequencies? While Maxwell can explain all that perfectly, I think it's fascinating to get a glimpse of the quantum equivalences. That stuff keeps me up at night! All the best!

[@PeterMatisko]

Arvin, your lectures should be mandatory in physics classes! :) I always loved physics and math, but from my school years I only remember boring lectures.

[@ArvinAsh]

I hear you. I think many kids are bored into hating science. I wish that wasn't the case.

[@Sivaji271]

Sir, we like your simple explanations. Great sir

[@zakirhussain-js9ku]

Absolutely amazing.Simple, interesting and full of information.

[@Prashanthestics]

Believe me if Edward minded his own business, our cars would've been flying by now

[@neithanm]

Am I the only one that is hearing him saying something closer to "EC" than "AC"? By the way these videos are awesome!

[@SuperOlivegrove]

Great video. Well explained. Wasn’t sure I’d enjoy that really enjoyed it 👍

[@ArvinAsh]

Glad to hear it!

[@Native_love]

One of the best channels on KZbin! Thank you!

[@SidharthMiddela]

Why do I understand things only when Arvin Ash explains ? Is something wrong with me ? 🤔

[@Cheesysmilesxp]

He explains concepts with clarity. Really can't fault you on this one brother.

[@fbn7766]

Yeah... Probably, there's something wrong with you! Lol

[@pressaltf4forfreevbucks179]

Like, what did you do at school as a child?

[@dansands8140]

It's by design. Academics, usually subconsciously, tend to cling to esoteric language when describing their fields in order to appear to have deeper knowledge than they do. Which is not to say that physics isn't phenomenally complex.

[@freshcaffe]

Some people who have deep knowledge on different subjects tend to forget that some things are not so obvious to us as they are to them. Ash is the translator in this case, and puts complex subjects in simpler words.

[@Tadesan]

That man of course is Oliver Heaviside. Oh. You’re one of them. Never mind.

[@maggsgorilla]

Finally! Nice to see someone get this right. Nice work.

[@BrandonWalowitz]

Have you made an updated video where you describe how electricity actually works? How the energy moves through the fields created when electric and magnetic fields are present?

[@spacebarbarian._]

kid: mom I want that toy gun mom thinking how safe it is: 12:38

[@colinp2238]

Using the water analogy, Arvin was a stroke of genius. My wallet has similar properties as that water tank as the money flows out very quickly : (((

[@electronresonator8882]

limit the holes in your tank, and make it smaller,... but make sure you can survive

[@Naveen_Anan]

Nice explanation!!! Grt888.. Willing to watch more videos like this!!!

[@JM-wy6sq]

Great video! Very informative