What is the difference between static electricity and moving electricity?

Answer 1

Static electricity, such as might build up in your carpet, can best be described as voltage. "moving" electricity is current, which is measured in Amps. I'll skip the math and Ohm's law, and try to give a conceptual answer. If you think of an electric circuit as being a set of water pipes in which the electricity is the water, then voltage is the water pressure and amperage is the rate at which the water is flowing. If the water is flowing through a pipe that does not restrict it, then the amount of water flowing is directly proportional to the water pressure. however, if the pipe resists the movement of the water, then the water flow slows down and the water pressure increases. Conversely, if the pipe exhibits less resistance, then the water pressure drops again and the water flow increases. This analogy gives a basic idea of the difference between static and moving electricity, but it is overly simplified and skips some important concepts. If you've taken physics, you can also think of voltage as being potential energy, current as being kinetic, and resistance as being friction.