Pure water does not conduct electricity because this flow of energy requires the movement of charged particles, and water is a neutral molecule.

Water is considered the universal solvent, despite not being good at dissolving many substances.

Learn why magnets, like statically charged balloons, can deflect water

Electricity is produced when the ends of a battery are connected by a conducting wire, triggering chemical reactions that release the energy stored in chemical bonds.

A chemical overview of water, whose uncommon properties help sustain life on Earth

Distinguishing polar and nonpolar molecules and why charges get distributed unevenly in molecules

Hydrogen fuel cells, which combine hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity and water, can be run in reverse to produce hydrogen fuel from water.

The characteristic zigzag of lightning originates from columns of conductive oxygen

Oxygen can become temporarily magnetic, as seen when its liquid form is poured onto ultracold magnets, where it sticks.

Debating whether water is or is not wet depends on one's definition of wetness

Electricity can flow indefinitely along a ring of superconducting material, which provides zero resistance to the movement of charges due to quantum effects.

In osmotic power systems, the natural movement of water from regions of low to high salt concentration is used to generate electricity from pressurized water.

Iron rusts in the presence of water and oxygen because these ingredients enable the metal atoms to release energy and enter a more stable state.

Electrical energy transfers at near light speed, even though the electrons carrying the energy in circuits only move a fraction of a millimeter per second.

By changing one's frame of reference in special relativity, electric forces can be reinterpreted as magnetic forces, highlighting how the two together constitute electromagnetism.

You have never made physical contact with anything in your life because electrons in the outer layer of atoms on the surface of objects repel one another.

Breaking down the different types of drinking water, from alkaline to sparkling

Electrogenic animals generate their own electricity by changing the pattern of electrical charges in disc-shaped cells called electrocytes.

Making up about three-quarters of the visible matter in the universe, hydrogen is the only element whose isotopes have distinct, recognizable names: deuterium and tritium.

The outermost shell of electrons in an atom dictates how it bonds to other atoms, including those of the same element, and the properties of the materials composed of those atoms.

In nuclear reactors, water acts as a coolant and moderator, slowing neutrons produced in nuclear reactions so they are more likely to interact with nuclear fuel and generate sustainable energy.

Plasma makes up 99% of the observable matter in the universe, despite being considered the fourth state of matter.

How geometry and uneven charge distribution make some molecules greenhouse gases

Electricity can be lethal because it can disrupt the nervous system, which controls critical bodily functions that rely on electrical signals between cells, such as breathing and heart rate.

Oxygen is produced in the International Space Station from recycled water, which is split into hydrogen and oxygen gases using an electric current.

Explore how excitatory cells, such as neurons and muscle cells, transmit information in the body via electrochemical signals, which can travel up to 120 meters (390 feet) per second.

Surface ocean currents are primarily driven by wind, tides, and Earth's rotation, while deep-ocean currents are driven by differences in temperature and salt concentration.

Lightning forms when streams of rising and falling charged particles connect

An overview of oxygenic photosynthesis, which releases oxygen from breaking down water

Leptons do not experience the strong nuclear force that binds quarks together

Different types of ice link water molecules together in unique shapes

On average, the human body produces about 100 watts of electricity—enough to power a light bulb—but some people can produce over 2,000 watts in short bursts, such as when sprinting.

Earth's first oceans may have been as much as 230 degrees Celsius (446 degrees Fahrenheit), with atmospheric pressure preventing them from boiling.

Research shows that cosmic rays may trigger the cascade of displaced electrons needed to produce lightning, which is also enabled by pointed ice crystals that create strong electric fields.

Although PFAS, or forever chemicals, are intentionally designed to be extremely stable and long-lasting because of their strong carbon-fluorine bonds, these bonds can be broken by heat, plasma, and supercritical water.

Instead of consuming water and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen and sugar, anoxygenic photosynthesis involves alternative reactants and products.

Most advanced touch screens rely on electrical charge in your skin

Our bodies cool us down by sweating because water requires a significant amount of energy to change state from liquid to gas, making it an ideal medium for carrying thermal energy away from our bodies.

Earth's oceans do mix, despite viral images and videos claiming to show boundaries between oceans that waters do not cross.

Lightning is the sudden flow of electricity in the atmosphere as two oppositely charged regions seek to become balanced via the movement of electrons.

Distinguishing club soda, seltzer, and sparkling water

Electricity can be created by changing a magnetic field—a phenomenon known as electromagnetic induction.

Rechargeable batteries rely on chemical reactions to generate electricity, but unavoidable reactions cause them to gradually lose capacity.

The one-electron theory describes the universe as having only one electron

Particles moving faster than the speed of light give nuclear reactors an eerie blue glow.

Watch underwater photosynthesis make water look like champagne

Elements, isotopes, and ions can be identified by the number of protons, neutrons, and electrons within the atoms that make up a substance.

Watch a timeline of the history of electricity, from observations of static electricity in antiquity to the War of the Currents—a rivalry to establish the ideal system for electric grids.

The first battery was invented to settle a dispute over what caused severed frog legs to twitch when connected to different metals.

If two strands of conducting materials are connected at two junctions, electricity can be generated if one junction is heated while the other is cooled—a phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect.

Metallic hydrogen exists in Jupiter and Saturn due to high pressure and temperature