What are electricity and magnetism, and how can they be used safely?

checklist

Targets

At the end of this Unit you should be able to answer the following questions 

1. What are electricity and magnetism, and how can they be used safely?

1.1 What is electricity?

1.2 What is magnetism, and how is it related to electricity?

1.3 What are the dangers of electricity, and how can it be used safely?

What does a bolt of lightning have in common with power lines?

• Both move large amounts of electricity.
• Both can be very dangerous if you are not careful around them.

For example, the energy in a single lightning bolt is enough to light 100 powerful lamps for a whole day or to make a couple of hundred thousand slices of toast!  Overhead power lines power a whole town.  If people come in contact with electricity from lightning bolts or power lines, they could be electrocuted and die.

The first step to keeping yourself safe around electricity is to learn some basics. When you study more about electricity, you will learn that the electricity of a lightning bolt is very different from the electricity that flows in power lines.

Electricity can build up in one place or flow from one place to another.

1. When electricity gathers in one place it is known as static electricity (the word static means something that does not move).  It remains until it finds a path to move.
   
2. Electricity that moves from one place to another is called current electricity.
   

Predict

• Is lightning an example of static electricity or current electricity? 
  
• Is a power line an example of static electricity or current electricity?