Fun facts and experiment for kids
Yesterday we spoke about electricity and how life will be without it, how it is generated at the power plant and delivered to our houses and how to stay safe when you are using electricity.
- For revision, explain in your own words how coal is used to generate electricity
- Name any 5 safety measures when using electricity
- We are very dependant on electricity and it is difficult when electricity is off - Here are some ideas on what you have to do when the electricity goes out http://www.abc2news.com/news/local-news/9-things-to-do-if-the-power-goes-out
Electricity is a source of energy
What is energy? - it is the ability to do work.
If you do not eat you are not going to have any energy and you will not be able to do your work. It is the same with a car or a torch or a light bulb - if it does not have the electrical energy it will not be able to do any work (it will be dead).
Electrical energy is a type of energy we find. Some other types of energy are movement, mechanical, heat and potential
- For enrichment you can read more about some different types of energy - try and give an extra example for each one - next time we will learn more about different types of energy https://www.thoughtco.com/main-energy-forms-and-examples-609254
Fun facts on energy and creating electricity
1. A car needs fuel to move forward - In Brazil they grow a special kind of sugar cane which they use to turn into fuel. They can turn this cane into fuel because it produces enthanol, and ethanol can be used as a fuel in cars.
Watch the video on the process taking place to make this happen
2. A lot of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere by the power plants burning coal.
This means that it is creating a greenhouse effect. If you have ever been in a greenhouse (where they grow plants indoors) you will know it is very hot. What is the greenhouse effect?
- The sun shines on to Earth and heats it up during the day.
- At night time Earth will cool down again by giving off the heat that must go back in the atmosphere.
- But now there is a problem! - all the carbon dioxide gasses in the atmosphere is blocking the heat to escape and it bounces back to Earth - so now Earth is just heating up more and more (the heat is trapped like in a greenhouse) - this is called Global warming
- There are many negative effects because of this - for enrichment you can read why the greenhouse gases are bad for Earth http://sciencing.com/greenhouse-gases-bad-earth-23688.html
- Can you explain the greenhouse effect in your own words by looking at the picture?
3. Want to be superman? If you can travel as fast as electricity, you will be able to travel around the world 8 times in the time it takes somebody to switch on a light. Whaaaaaat?
If you could place a light bulb on the moon connected to a powersource on Earth, it will take only 1, 26 seconds for the light to go on after you have switched it on on Earth - can you now imagine how fast electricity moves?
- do research and find out how fast does electricity travels - tip: it is the same as the speed of light
4. Iceland is a country where most of the electricity is generated (made) by using water - this is called hydro electricity.
In this country there are a lot of hot springs (hot water coming from underneath the earth) which they can use directly to make the turbines turn (remember the steam makes the turbines turn the generates the electricity)
Watch how geothermal energy works (hot water is used to generate electricity)
5. Benjamin Franklin did not discover electricity but he did discover that there is electricity in lightning.
Watch the fun interview with Mr Franklin
6. Have you ever shocked yourself after you dragged your feet over the carpet and then touch the door knob? This is called static electricity (static means standing still). Electricity in our houses are current electricity which means it moves.
- Enrichment: Read some extra information on static electricity http://sciencewithkids.com/science-facts/facts-about-static-electricity.html
- Lets have some fun - try these fun experiments with static electricity
