Electric Vocabulary

Why do we call electricity "electricity"? Why do we talk about its "charge"? Or talk about whether that charge is "positive" or "negative"? And why do we refer to a device to store electricity as a "battery"?

One great way to find out about the fascinating history of this strange phenomenon, and the one I would recommend, is to watch the excellent documentary series Shock and Awe: The Story of Electricity, narrated by Jim Al-Khalili.

But if you don't have the time to watch that right now, here's a simple and short introduction to get you started with at least the etymology of these words:

But seriously, go watch Shock and Awe...