Electricity is
characterized by two main quantities which are often misunderstood: "voltage"
and "amperage". Voltage
more correctly named as "electric tension" is the force with which
charged particles attract or repell each other. It is the electric force exerted
on a particle that is not neutral.
If you put your
fingers in a 220 Volts outlet (i. e. a rather high voltage - please don't!)
, that force is exerted on the charged particles of your body. As there are
various interchanges involving charged particles at a cellular level, these
are strongly disturbed, which is an experience to avoid...
Amperage
more correctly named "electric current" is the rate of flow of charged
particles when they are in motion.
These two quantities
are interrelated because the higher the voltage the bigger the amperage will
be, but it all depends on the medium in which the current flows. In a conductor
body it flows very easily and in an insulator body like dry wood, it doesn't
flow at all.
