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1. Electricity By: Tim Bertsch Click to advance

2. Students • Students in the third and fourth grade • Any level of learning curve • Any socioeconomic level • Students who have the desire to learn about electricity • Students do not need any previous knowledge of the subject area Click to advance

3. Objectives After completing this activity the student will have a good understanding of how electricity works. The student will have an appreciation for the history of how electricity was originated and who contributed to its progression. The students will also see first hand how a simple circuit is created and then will take part in making their own. The students will also witness how to create a circuit with a switch. The final goal is to understand how a electrical circuit works and what it looks like. The student will then take a quiz and must answer each question right in order to complete the entire activity, Click to advance

4. Learning Environment • Computer Lab • Student alone without any outside help • Student must complete the entire activity by themselves Image courtesy of Google images Click to advance

5. WELCOME! Today you will learn the basics of electricity…… electricity is a science that is used every day by millions of people. It is important to understand how electricity works on its most basic level so that you can learn how to utilize its amazing capabilities. So sit back and enjoy the show! Click to advance

6. HOME This is your home page. You can click on the icon of the house and it will bring you back to this page. Click here to create your own electrical circuit Click here to learn about the history of electricity Instructions Click here to take the quiz

7. Instructions Click on the home button after reading the instructions Click to Return home Click to advance Click go back Click to Exit Other pictures are also linked to different areas within the program. Please read all of the text on each page before clicking on anything. If you happen to click on something that is not a designated button then simply press the back arrow on your keyboard.

8. History Click here to learn about the fathers of electricity Click here to learn how electricity works Click to Return home

9. Fathers of electricity Click on the pictures to read more about each man Images courtesy of Google images Benjamin Franklin George Westinghouse Thomas Edison Click to Return home Click to go back

10. Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. He was the tenth son of soap maker, Josiah Franklin. Benjamin's mother was Abiah Folger, the second wife of Josiah. In all, Josiah would father 17 children. Josiah intended for Benjamin to enter into the clergy. However, Josiah could only afford to send his son to school for one year and clergymen needed years of schooling. But, as young Benjamin loved to read he had him apprenticed to his brother James, who was a printer. After helping James compose pamphlets and set type which was grueling work, 12-year-old Benjamin would sell their products in the streets. In the early 1750's he turned to the study of electricity. His observations, including his kite experiment which verified the nature of electricity and lightning brought Franklin international fame. Images courtesy of Google Images Information obtained from http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/info/index.htm Click to Return home Click to go back

11. George Westinghouse Born in New York in 1846. Educated in public and high schools. Westinghouse spent much time in his father's machine shop, inventing, at 15, a rotary engine. Served in Union Army, 1863-64. Assistant engineer in United States Navy, 1864-65. Attended Union College to sophomore year (Ph.D., 1890). Invented a device for replacing railroad cars on the track in 1865; invented and successfully introduced the Westinghouse air brake in 1868. Also made other inventions in railway signals, steam and gas engines, steam turbines, and electric machinery. George Westinghouse was a pioneer, against great opposition, in introducing alternating current machinery in America, which rendered possible the great development of water power for long distance electrical transmission. Built the great generators at Niagara Falls and those for elevated railway and rapid transit system in New York His inventions of the air brake and of automatic railway signals have been largely instrumental in the possibility and safety of modern high speed railroading. Westinghouse died in 1914. Information obtained from http://www.sacklunch.net/biography/W/GeorgeWestinghouse.html Click to Return home Click to go back

12. Thomas Edison Thomas Edison's greatest challenge was the development of a practical incandescent, electric light. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't "invent" the light bulb, but rather he improved upon a 50-year-old idea. In 1879, using lower current electricity, a small carbonized filament, and an improved vacuum inside the globe, he was able to produce a reliable, long-lasting source of light. The idea of electric lighting was not new, and a number of people had worked on, and even developed forms of electric lighting. But up to that time, nothing had been developed that was remotely practical for home use. Edison's eventual achievement was inventing not just an incandescent electric light, but also an electric lighting system that contained all the elements necessary to make the incandescent light practical, safe, and economical. After one and a half years of work, success was achieved when an incandescent lamp with a filament of carbonized sewing thread burned for thirteen and a half hours. Born on February 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio; the seventh and last child of Samuel and Nancy Edison. Thomas Edison died on October 18, 1931, in his home, "Glenmont" in Llewellyn Park in West Orange, New Jersey, Information obtained from http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bledison.htm Click to Return home Click to go back

13. How Electricity Works Click on the pictures to read more about each category Images courtesy of Google images The Science of electricity Different sources of Electricity Cool Pictures of Lightning Click to Return home Click to go back

14. The Science of Electricity In order to understand how electric charge moves from one atom to another, we need to know something about atoms. Everything in the universe is made of atoms—every star, every tree, every animal. The human body is made of atoms. Air and water are, too. Atoms are the building blocks of the universe. Atoms are so small that millions of them would fit on the head of a pin. Atoms are made of even smaller particles. The center of an atom is called the nucleus. It is made of particles called protons and neutrons. The protons and neutrons are very small, but electrons are much, much smaller. Electrons spin around the nucleus in shells a great distance from the nucleus. If the nucleus were the size of a tennis ball, the atom would be the size of the Empire State Building. Atoms are mostly empty space. If you could see an atom, it would look a little like a tiny center of balls surrounded by giant invisible bubbles (or shells). The electrons would be on the surface of the bubbles, constantly spinning and moving to stay as far away from each other as possible. Electrons are held in their shells by an electrical force. The protons and electrons of an atom are attracted to each other. They both carry an electrical charge. An electrical charge is a force within the particle. Protons have a positive charge (+) and electrons have a negative charge (-). The positive charge of the protons is equal to the negative charge of the electrons. Opposite charges attract each other. When an atom is in balance, it has an equal number of protons and electrons. The neutrons carry no charge and their number can vary. The number of protons in an atom determines the kind of atom, or element, it is. An element is a substance in which all of the atoms are identical (the Periodic Table shows all the known elements). Every atom of hydrogen, for example, has one proton and one electron, with no neutrons. Every atom of carbon has six protons, six electrons, and six neutrons. The number of protons determines which element it is. Electrons usually remain a constant distance from the nucleus in precise shells. The shell closest to the nucleus can hold two electrons. The next shell can hold up to eight. The outer shells cans hold even more. Some atoms with many protons can have as many as seven shells with electrons in them. The electrons in the shells closest to the nucleus have a strong force of attraction to the protons. Sometimes, the electrons in the outermost shells do not. These electrons can be pushed out of their orbits. Applying a force can make them move from one atom to another. These moving electrons are electricity. Information obtained from http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/electricity.html Click to Return home Click to go back

15. Different Sources of Electricity Click on the pictures to read more about each category Geothermal Power Natural Gas Solar Power Nuclear Energy Wind Power Hydropower Information obtained from http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/electricity.html Click to Return home Click to go back

16. Natural Gas Millions of years ago, the remains of plants and animals decayed and built up in thick layers. This decayed matter from plants and animals is called organic material -- it was once alive. Over time, the mud and soil changed to rock, covered the organic material and trapped it beneath the rock. Pressure and heat changed some of this organic material into coal, some into oil (petroleum), and some into natural gas -- tiny bubbles of odorless gas. The main ingredient in natural gas is methane, a gas (or compound) composed of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms. Natural gas, in addition to being burned to heat water for steam, can also be burned to produce hot combustion gases that pass directly through a turbine, spinning the blades of the turbine to generate electricity. Gas turbines are commonly used when electricity utility usage is in high demand. In 2006, 20% of the nation's electricity was fueled by natural gas. Information obtained from http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/naturalgas.html Click to Return home Click to go back

17. Nuclear Energy Nuclear power accounts for about 19 percent of the total net electricity generated in the United States, about as much as the electricity used in California, Texas and New York, the three states with the most people. In 2006, there were 66 nuclear power plants (composed of 104 licensed nuclear reactors) throughout the United States. Most power plants burn fuel to produce electricity, but not nuclear power plants. Instead, nuclear plants use the heat given off during fission as fuel. Fission takes place inside the reactor of a nuclear power plant. At the center of the reactor is the core, which contains the uranium fuel. Fission generates heat in a reactor just as coal generates heat in a boiler. The heat is used to boil water into steam. The steam turns huge turbine blades. As they turn, they drive generators that make electricity. Afterward, the steam is changed back into water and cooled in a separate structure at the power plant called a cooling tower. The water can be used again and again. Information obtained from http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/naturalgas.html Click to Return home Click to go back

18. Hydropower Of the renewable energy sources that generate electricity, hydropower is the most often used. It accounted for 7 percent of total U.S. electricity generation and 73 percent of generation from renewable in 2005. It is one of the oldest sources of energy and was used thousands of years ago to turn a paddle wheel for purposes such as grinding grain. Our nation’s first industrial use of hydropower to generate electricity occurred in 1880, when 16 brush-arc lamps were powered using a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first U.S. hydroelectric power plant opened on the Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 30, 1882. Until that time, coal was the only fuel used to produce electricity. Because the source of hydropower is water, hydroelectric power plants must be located on a water source. Therefore, it wasn’t until the technology to transmit electricity over long distances was developed that hydropower became widely used. Information obtained from http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/naturalgas.html Click to Return home Click to go back

19. Geothermal Energy The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and thermo (heat). So, geothermal energy is heat from within the earth. We can use the steam and hot water produced inside the earth to heat buildings or generate electricity. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because the water is replenished by rainfall and the heat is continuously produced inside the earth. People around the world use geothermal energy to heat their homes and to produce electricity by digging deep wells and pumping the heated underground water or steam to the surface. Or, we can make use of the stable temperatures near the surface of the earth to heat and cool buildings. Information obtained from http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/naturalgas.html Click to Return home Click to go back

20. Solar Power Solar power is derived from the energy of the sun. However, the sun's energy is not available full-time and it is widely scattered. The processes used to produce electricity using the sun's energy have historically been more expensive than using conventional fossil fuels. Photovoltaic conversion generates electric power directly from the light of the sun in a photovoltaic (solar) cell. Solar-thermal electric generators use the radiant energy from the sun to produce steam to drive turbines. In 2006, less than 1% of the nation's electricity was based on solar power. Solar energy can be converted to thermal (or heat) energy and used to: Heat water – for use in homes, buildings, or swimming pools. Heat spaces – inside greenhouses, homes, and other buildings. Information obtained from http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/naturalgas.html Click to Return home Click to go back

21. Wind Power Wind is simple air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the earth’s surface by the sun. Since the earth’s surface is made of very different types of land and water, it absorbs the sun’s heat at different rates. During the day, the air above the land heats up more quickly than the air over water. The warm air over the land expands and rises, and the heavier, cooler air rushes in to take its place, creating winds. At night, the winds are reversed because the air cools more rapidly over land than over water. In the same way, the large atmospheric winds that circle the earth are created because the land near the earth's equator is heated more by the sun than the land near the North and South Poles. Today, wind energy is mainly used to generate electricity. Wind is called a renewable energy source because the wind will blow as long as the sun shines. Information obtained from http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/naturalgas.html Click to Return home Click to go back

22. Cool pictures of lightning Click to Return home Click to go back

23. Create your own simple circuit After learning all about electricity you now get a chance to see what it is like to put electricity to work. In the exercise you will create a simple circuit consisting of a battery, two copper wires, and a light bulb. The object is to create a circuit that makes the light bulb turn on. Once you have mastered the simple circuit you will learn to create a circuit with a switch. HAVE FUN!!! Click to advance

24. A Simple Circuit A simple circuit consists of a energy source (the battery), two materials that are conductors and will allow the flow of electricity (copper wires), and a light bulb that turns the electric energy into light. The most important aspect of a simple circuit is that the circuit is complete and there is no dead-ends. The electrons will flow continuously through the circuit until the circuit is broken. A switch acts as a break in the circuit that stops the flow of electrons throughout the circuit. Once the switch is closed the electrons can continue to flow through the circuit. Click to advance

25. Materials Copper Wire X2 Battery X1 Light Bulb X1 Click to advance

26. READ INSTRUCTIONS! Create Your Own Simple Circuit Click once on wire to construct the simple circuit Click to advance

27. Create your own simple circuit NOW CREATE A CIRCUIT WITH A SWITCH… THE OBJECTIVE IS TO CREATE A CIRCUIT THAT TURNS ON THE LIGHT BULB WHEN THE SWITCH IS CLOSED HAVE FUN!!! Click to advance

28. Materials Copper Wire X2 Battery X1 Switch X1 Light Bulb X1 Click to advance

29. Create Your Own Simple Circuit READ INSTRUCTIONS! Click once on the bottom wire to set both in place Click on switch to turn on bulb Click to take the quiz

30. Quiz Now that you have learned all of the basics of how electricity works you must prove you remember some of the important facts of what you read in this program. The answers are all part of the program and if you miss the question you will be shown where to look to find the answer. Click on the letter of the answer you choose. The goal is to choose the correct answer for all five questions. GOOD LUCK! Click to Return home Click to advance To Questions 1

31. Question 1 In what year was Benjamin Franklin born? A 1776 B 1706 C 1708 D 1716

32. WRONG! Click here for help on the question

33. Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. He was the tenth son of soap maker, Josiah Franklin. Benjamin's mother was Abiah Folger, the second wife of Josiah. In all, Josiah would father 17 children. Josiah intended for Benjamin to enter into the clergy. However, Josiah could only afford to send his son to school for one year and clergymen needed years of schooling. But, as young Benjamin loved to read he had him apprenticed to his brother James, who was a printer. After helping James compose pamphlets and set type which was grueling work, 12-year-old Benjamin would sell their products in the streets. In the early 1750's he turned to the study of electricity. His observations, including his kite experiment which verified the nature of electricity and lightning brought Franklin international fame. Images courtesy of Google Images Information obtained from Click here to return to the question http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/info/index.htm

34. WELL DONE! Click to advance to question 2

35. Question 2 Which is NOT a source of electricity? A Wind Power B Solar Power C Hydropower D Soul Power

36. WRONG! Click here for help on the question

37. Different Sources of Electricity Geothermal Power Natural Gas Solar Power Nuclear Energy Wind Power Hydropower Click here to return to the question Information obtained from http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/electricity.html

38. WELL DONE! Click to advance to question 3

39. Question 3 Protons have a ___ charge? A Negative B Neutral C Positive D None of the above

40. WRONG! Click here for help on the question

41. The Science of Electricity In order to understand how electric charge moves from one atom to another, we need to know something about atoms. Everything in the universe is made of atoms—every star, every tree, every animal. The human body is made of atoms. Air and water are, too. Atoms are the building blocks of the universe. Atoms are so small that millions of them would fit on the head of a pin. Atoms are made of even smaller particles. The center of an atom is called the nucleus. It is made of particles called protons and neutrons. The protons and neutrons are very small, but electrons are much, much smaller. Electrons spin around the nucleus in shells a great distance from the nucleus. If the nucleus were the size of a tennis ball, the atom would be the size of the Empire State Building. Atoms are mostly empty space. If you could see an atom, it would look a little like a tiny center of balls surrounded by giant invisible bubbles (or shells). The electrons would be on the surface of the bubbles, constantly spinning and moving to stay as far away from each other as possible. Electrons are held in their shells by an electrical force. The protons and electrons of an atom are attracted to each other. They both carry an electrical charge. An electrical charge is a force within the particle. Protons have a positive charge (+) and electrons have a negative charge (-). The positive charge of the protons is equal to the negative charge of the electrons. Opposite charges attract each other. When an atom is in balance, it has an equal number of protons and electrons. The neutrons carry no charge and their number can vary. The number of protons in an atom determines the kind of atom, or element, it is. An element is a substance in which all of the atoms are identical (the Periodic Table shows all the known elements). Every atom of hydrogen, for example, has one proton and one electron, with no neutrons. Every atom of carbon has six protons, six electrons, and six neutrons. The number of protons determines which element it is. Electrons usually remain a constant distance from the nucleus in precise shells. The shell closest to the nucleus can hold two electrons. The next shell can hold up to eight. The outer shells cans hold even more. Some atoms with many protons can have as many as seven shells with electrons in them. The electrons in the shells closest to the nucleus have a strong force of attraction to the protons. Sometimes, the electrons in the outermost shells do not. These electrons can be pushed out of their orbits. Applying a force can make them move from one atom to another. These moving electrons are electricity. Click here to return to the question Information obtained from http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/electricity.html

42. WELL DONE! Click to advance to question 4

43. Question 4 Opening the switch on the circuit stops the ____ of the electrons? A Flow B Heartbeat C Race D All of the above

44. WRONG! Click here for help on the question

45. A Simple Circuit A simple circuit consists of a energy source (the battery), two materials that are conductors and will allow the flow of electricity (copper wires), and a light bulb that turns the electric energy into light. The most important aspect of a simple circuit is that the circuit is complete and there is no dead-ends. The electrons will flow continuously through the circuit until the circuit is broken. A switch acts as a break in the circuit that stops the flow of electrons throughout the circuit. Once the switch is closed the electrons can continue to flow through the circuit. Click here to return to the question

46. WELL DONE! Click to advance to question 5

47. Question 5 Who invented the air brake? A Dwight Schrute B Ralph Airbrake C Thomas Edison D George Westinghouse

48. WRONG! Click here for help on the question

49. George Westinghouse Born in New York in 1846. Educated in public and high schools. Westinghouse spent much time in his father's machine shop, inventing, at 15, a rotary engine. Served in Union Army, 1863-64. Assistant engineer in United States Navy, 1864-65. Attended Union College to sophomore year (Ph.D., 1890). Invented a device for replacing railroad cars on the track in 1865; invented and successfully introduced the Westinghouse air brake in 1868. Also made other inventions in railway signals, steam and gas engines, steam turbines, and electric machinery. George Westinghouse was a pioneer, against great opposition, in introducing alternating current machinery in America, which rendered possible the great development of water power for long distance electrical transmission. Built the great generators at Niagara Falls and those for elevated railway and rapid transit system in New York His inventions of the air brake and of automatic railway signals have been largely instrumental in the possibility and safety of modern high speed railroading. Westinghouse died in 1914. Click here to return to the question Information obtained from http://www.sacklunch.net/biography/W/GeorgeWestinghouse.html

50. CONGRADULATIONS! You have completed the electricity learning program. Thank you for your participation! Click here to start from home Click here to exit