electric Innovation : The word electric is derived from the Greek word for amber, elektron. It is only in modern times that practical use has been made of electricity, but some electrical phenomena have been known since antiquity. Certain philosophers of ancient Greece found that by rubbing amber with a piece of cloth, they could enable the amber to pick up light objects, such as feathers. In the 17th century, students of natural science began to discover that other natural phenomena were related to the effect of friction on amber. Mechanical Engineering electric circuit electronics Actions Also known as: circuit Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Mar 28, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Electric circuit , path for transmitting electric current . An electric circuit includes a device that gives energy to the charged particles constituting the current, such as a...