What is Electricity made of?
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Hey, smarty pants, I'm super excited today because today I'm coming to you from inside the top secret laboratory of two scientists who are experts in the field of electricity. In fact, they've conducted lots of experiments with electricity. But always safely. Electricity is really dangerous, you know. Yes. Yeah. No.

You must pardon my husband. He likes to mix science with emotion. Right. As I was saying, smarty pants, I'm joined by the electric scientist duo of Goethe and Volcker, or... Frankenzapper. Am I saying that right? Frankenzapper?

Actually, he's pronounced Fronken Zappen, as in the zappen you will get if you're not careful with the electricity. Yes, yes. Soon everyone will know the name Fronken.

Frankenzappin. Uh, you're not creating a terrifying monster by any chance? No, no, nothing like that. He's just hoping all the smarty-hoes in listening will remember our names. Ah, right. They probably will. We're only a minute in and you're already pretty memorable. So, what are you working on? Fantastic feats with electric power. Volker here will demonstrate. Volk?

Watch as I flip the switch. I did it! It's a light! It's heat! Uh, yes, it is a light. You turned on the overhead lights. There appears to be a ceiling fan going, too. It worked!

Very good, Volker. But it's just light. Everyone has these at home. Ah, but we also have more than just light. We also have these slots built into our wall for all kinds of electrical devices. And if we put these marks with prongs into it, if we light up this rectangle with squares we call apps. Ha ha ha!

It works! Um, you just plugged in your smartphone. Which is good, you're only at 12% battery, but what's so special about that? What's so special? Have you no appreciation of the power of... Electricity!

The fronkenzoppens do have a point, smarty pants. Just think how much of your life depends on electricity. But chances are, you don't think too much about it. So what exactly is electricity? Who discovered it? How does it work? And is it possible to live without it? It's time for another whiff of... Science! And history on...

Lots of fun on Who's Smart.

Hey, Smarty Pants. Trusty here with a special mission for all the Smarty Pants listening. But unlike a top secret mission, this mission requires you to tell everyone. That's right. Your job is to spread the word about Who Smarted so we can keep growing and bringing you awesome new episodes. To qualify for this mission, let's play a little game. Who do you know that would love Who Smarted but doesn't listen to the show?

Got someone in mind? Great. Question two. Pick one. Make a plan. Stick to it.

And best of all, complete this not-so-top-secret mission. I'm counting on you, Smarty Pants. The more people you tell, the bigger we grow, which means a lot more smarting for you. Smarty Pants, thanks to electricity, you can travel farther, fly higher, and sink deeper. Electricity cooks your food, heats and cools your home, and powers your games. Doctors and nurses use electricity to save lives.

And of course, you use electricity to listen to your favorite podcast. You use electricity for so many things. It's probably hard to imagine life without it. But get this. Just over 100 years ago, most electrical things didn't exist.

So tell me, Smarty Pants, when do you think electricity was invented? About 200 years ago? 300 years ago? Or 500 years ago? That's a silly question, Nacheter. Is it? What do you think, Smarty Pants? It's silly because electricity wasn't invented. It's part of nature. In fact,

You cannot live without it. Your body uses electricity to operate your heart, brain, and nervous system. In fact, your brain produces so much electricity, if we were to screw a light bulb into your head, it could light up. Let's try. Let's not. But...

But Gerda is right when she said electricity has always been a part of nature, and even within your body. Whoa. But what exactly is electricity? Is it A, the flow of charged liquid? B, the movement of electron particles? Or C, the release of electrified gas? Not that gas. Sorry. Too much liverwurst. Oh, boy. Anywho, Smarty Pants, did you guess your answer?

Did you say B, the movement of electron particles? If so, you're right. Ah, but do you know where these particles come from? Any ideas, Smarty Pants? Electrons come from these super-duper tiny things that make up everything. Aha! Do you know what those are called, Smarty Pants? Go ahead, shout it out. Did you say atoms? That's right. Electrons come from atoms.

No, not those atoms. No, no, no, not Presidents John and Quincy Adams. Atoms. A-T-O-M-S. Basically, everything in the entire universe is made up of atoms. But they're so small, you can fit millions of them onto the head of a pen. Ah, yes, but Finn, we are talking about electricity. It might help to think of something very, very big, like the solar system. The solar system?

Yes. You see, every atom has something in its center called a nucleus. Think of the nucleus like the sun.

The nucleus is made of teeny tiny particles called neutrons and protons. Neutrons have no charge. Not electric. Protons have a positive charge. Electric. And then there are particles called electrons which orbit around the nucleus like planets orbiting the sun.

Electrons have a negative charge. Also electric. So wait, positive and negative charges are both electric? Yes, and the positive protons and negative electrons are attracted to each other, which means they are always trying to get one another. Like a magnet and a piece of metal.

Exactly! If an atom has more protons than electrons, we call it a positive charged atom. If there's more electrons, then it's a negative charged atom.

What if there are an equal number of protons and electrons? Then the atom is in balance. Things like glass, plastic, cotton, and wood all have atoms that stay in balance. Not very electric. It's true. Electricity does not flow easily through those objects. But in other materials, the atom's negative electrons can come loose and begin moving.

moving around looking for positive protons, and that movement is... Electricity! And now, with this device, I will harness the Pazza Universe! Uh, you're just holding a metal fork.

Yes, you see, most metals, like this fork, are composed of atoms that have electrons that break off and move freely. This is how electricity moves. And that is why you should never put a fork next to something that supplies electricity, like a wall socket. You will get a dangerous shock.

Metals like this are known as electrical conductors. Okay, but a fork and other metals by themselves are perfectly safe, right? Correct, my negerter. So the metals don't make the electricity? No. Valvine turbines and solar panels make some electricity. Most of the power you use comes from stations called power plants. Okay.

Smartypants, what is the main ingredient most power plants need to make electricity? Is it A, lightning, B, fire, or C, water? Well, just like plants found in nature, most power plants need C, water. With enough water, I can create immeasurable... Volga, no. This is not how we make power. And it's not immeasurable...

We measure electricity all the time. With amps and volts and watts, etc. Sorry about that. Hand me that towel. Walter is a conductor of electricity. I don't want to get a shock with all these electrical things around me.

So how do you use water to make electricity? With something called a generator. Most generators have a turbine, which is like a helicopter propeller, a rotating thing with blades. A power plant moves this turbine, sometimes this running water itself, but most times with its gaseous version.

Vulgar! Oh, sorry, my bad. Smartypants, what's the gaseous version of water?

That's right. Steam. The steam spins the turbine and the movement generates electricity through copper coils and magnets attached to the turbine. Magnetic forces push the electricity out from the generator through metal power lines, which, as I said before, are electrical conductors. Pfft.

A big system of power lines and other devices called a grid takes the electricity from power plants to your home. And with this power, I can control millions of lamps. But don't I control the lights in my home? How do lamps turn on and off?

Think of it like a drawbridge. The road leading to the bridge is the electrical conductor, like a metal wire. When you turn off a lamp, would you say the drawbridge is up or down? Smartypants, what do you think? If the drawbridge is up, can you go over it?

Of course not. Electricity will only travel over a connected path. It must be able to go into your lamp or TV or video games and then be able to go back out. It's only when it's passing through that your device gets the energy to work. When you turn off your device or flick the light switch, it's like raising the drawbridge.

Suddenly, there's a break in the electrical conductor, so electricity won't go through it. So when did people first discover this kind of power? Was it all thanks to Ben Franklin's experiments with lightning? No, no, much simpler than that. In fact, it's electricity these smarty pants can make at home. Ooh, sounds fun. We'll hear all about it right after this quick break.

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Modern parenting is tough, but to raise happier and healthier kids, parents need to focus on their well-being too. I'm Dr. Laurie Santos, and in the new season of my podcast, The Happiness Lab, I'll be looking at happier parenting. We'll tackle many of the challenges facing modern parents, from loneliness to struggles over screen time and technology. We'll explore research-backed strategies moms and dads can use to achieve more joy and less stress while raising the next generation. Listen to The Happiness Lab wherever you get your podcasts.

Now back to Who Smarted? Okay, smarty pants, thanks to scientists Goethe and Volker Frankenzappen, we know electricity wasn't invented, but rather discovered and studied. So when do you think that happened? During the 1800s? The 1700s? Earlier? Or more recent?

You may think because we have all these electrical marvels today that electricity was only discovered within the past 200 years. And yes, scientist Michael Faraday's invention of the electric generator in 1831 did lead to our modern electric world. Electricity was well known by then. So then the 1700s? Nope. Nope.

In 1752, when Ben Franklin experimented with lightning, electricity was still nothing new then. In fact, at that point, people had known about electricity for more than 2,000 years.

Believe it or not, ancient Greek philosophers studied electricity. The certain kind that the smarty-hosen can make right at home. Um, two things. First, smarty-hosen is smarty pants in German. And also, they can make electricity at home? How? Simple. If you're wearing socks, take off your shoes and shuffle your feet over a carpet.

Don't touch anything. Then, tap a friend or family member, and you might feel a little... Or, you can rub a balloon on your head and watch your hair stand up. In both instances, electrons are moving through your body.

Because people are good electrical conductors. Which is why electricity can be very dangerous. Yes, but the electricity caused by socks and balloons is harmless. You know what we call it? Smarty pants. Is it A, static electricity, metric electricity, or C, magnetic electricity? That's right. It's static electricity.

The Greeks made static electricity by rubbing amber from trees on fire. And you know what the ancient Greek word for amber is? What is it? Electron. That's where we get the word. Electricity! I will now use this power to make hundreds of explosions! Um, are you making microwave popcorn? Ha ha ha!

You want some? No, I think I'll head home. I'm feeling zapped. A big time shout out to Ethan in Modesto, California. We hear you love Who Smarted because you're always learning new things. That, my smarty friend, is what we like to hear. Keep on smarting, buddy.

This episode, Electricity, was written by Dave Brownout-Baudry and voiced by Jenna High Voltage Hoban, Sheffield Positively Charged Chastain, and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Megahertz-Hahn, who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Circuit Breaker Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Short Circuit Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Watts-Davis.

Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex-Davis and Jerry Kolber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production. Who Smarted?