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

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?

2. How can electricity be controlled and used?

2.1 How is the electricity we use daily measured and paid for?

2.2 Do all materials allow electricity to flow through them?

2.3 How can we understand, design, and control electrical pathways?

2.4 How can we change circuits to control the amount of electricity that flows?

3. How can we use electrical circuits to build devices?

3.1 How can electrical technology be used to build devices and solve problems?

targets

Pixabay

The purpose of this lesson is to learn how to be safe around anything that carries electricity: lightning, electrical outlets and plugs, power lines, and batteries. 

Static Electricity Safety


Every year, lightning kills a few people. When you see lightning, the best place to be is indoors or in your car. This is because lightning often takes the easiest path from the clouds to the ground.

It is easier for static electricity to go through a person than to go through the air. It is even easier for the electricity to travel through a large piece of metal [e.g.,  a baseball bat] and then go through the person. 

  • Do not stand under a tall tree during a thunderstorm. (Lightning can hit the top of the tree, travel down the trunk, and go into a person standing under it.) 
  • Do not swim during a thunderstorm. (Lightning can hit the water and the electricity can travel into a person in the water.) 
  • Avoid being the tallest or highest point in the area.

Current Electricity Safety


Modern homes have many electric devices that make our lives easier. In a busy household, sometimes many devices are used at the same time. Is there a limit to how much electricity you can use at once? The answer is yes, and if you exceed that limit, you can be in danger.

  • Do not overload an electric socket. Heat is made when electricity flows through wires. If too much electricity flows in wires, the wires will get very hot – so hot that they could start a fire.
  • Do not use appliances/devices that have cords with exposed wires. (A short circuit can happen when the outer covering of wires is worn or when wires touch one another.) 
  • Do not play near power lines.
  • Never put anything but a plug into a socket. (Other objects can conduct electricity and cause a shock.) 
  • Do not unplug an appliance by pulling the cord. Always use the plug. (The cord can become damaged and can cause an electrical shock.)
  • Do not use electrical appliances when you are in or near water. (Water is a conductor of electricity and if in contact with an electrical appliance can conduct electricity.) 

Electricity always has a pathway it should follow. A short circuit occurs when electricity travels somewhere it is not intended to. Short circuits can cause fires and damage electrical equipment, but worse, they can harm you if the electricity were to travel though you. The amount of electricity that flows in household circuits is very dangerous. By being part of a short circuit, you could receive an electric shock, burns, or worse. Never touch electrical wiring inside or outside the home. You should also never come in contact with electric wiring indirectly, such as with metal or with water.


Another danger of electricity is short circuits. You never want to come into direct contact with household electricity.
Modern homes have all their electrical wires pass through a central electrical panel (sometimes called a "breaker box") that contains several switches. If too much electricity is flowing in a line, the electrical panel automatically will stop the electricity from flowing. The breaker for that line will trip to “off” (or in older panels, fuses will “blow”). The job of the electrical panel is to keep your home safe by preventing overloads. (Perhaps you can have an adult show you the panel with its switches.)

  Video

Watch the Your Circuit Breaker video. Electricity flows in a wire loop called a circuit. Your home has many circuits. The electrical panel with circuit breakers in your home prevents overloads.