Electricity what is it for kids

Take a minute to learn more about electricity, you may be surprised by some of the fun facts behind the world? Electricity is so fast that it travels at the speed of light.

That is , miles per second. Electricity can be made from all types of things. We can use water, the sun, wind and even animal droppings to make electricity. If you took 25, fireflies and put them together, they would make as much electricity as a single 60 watt incandescent light bulb.

Coal is the most common way to make energy. It takes million years just to make coal. Solar power is one of the most popular natural sources of electricity. The sun is so powerful at making energy that in just one hour it could make enough energy for the whole world to use for a whole year.

Electric eels really are electric. They can make a surge of electricity that is stronger than the power you get from the outlet in your house. Your air conditioner uses 10 times as much electricity than a fan does.

When you can, try to use your room? Your refrigerator typically uses more electricity than any other appliance in your home. Electricity is such an important part of our lives… but how is it made? Where does it comes from? There is no one answer! Electricity can be made from a number of different resources.

There are both renewable natural and non-renewable sources. Non-renewable resources are items like coal and natural gas. We can use them to create power, but when we use them they create waste. Eventually, these resources will run out. These non-renewable resources are burned or used in order to make heat.

This heat converts water into steam. This steam then turns an engine within the power plant, also known as a turbine. When the turbine starts to spin it creates friction which makes electricity! Then there are renewable resources. These are things found in nature that we can use over and over again to make electricity and they never run out and they don?

We take energy directly from the sun and use its light and heat. The most common way to do this is with big solar panels. They capture the sun? You can also use the sun? Have you ever seen those big windmills on the side of the road? They are used to make electricity. When the wind makes these mills move it makes energy that we can then collect and turn into electricity.

When water falls over a waterfall, down the current of a river or through a dam, it can be collected in something called a turbine.

These turbines have big blades in them and when they spin, they generate power we can turn into electricity. There center of the earth is very hot, just like a volcano. Did you know we can use this heat to create electricity? We can take the heat and make it into steam in power plants that will generate power.

Biomass is a term used to describe wood, plants, crops and even animal droppings. These natural items can be used instead of coal or natural gas. We can burn this waste to power turbines and create electricity. Lightning is a form of electricity found in nature. You might see lightning during a thunderstorm, when thick black storm clouds are in the sky. This is happens when the storm clouds form two layers. The space between these two layers get electrically charged, until a spark generates in the atmosphere, or between the ground and the atmosphere.

When lightning hits the ground, this is called a lightning strike. There are many different types of lightning. While some do not hit the ground, all conduct electricity. Below are only a few examples. Anvil Crawler This kind of lightning goes from cloud-to-cloud across the sky. You can usually see this type of lightening from a great distance. Dry Lightning This kind of lightning happens when there is very little, or no rain.

It is the most common cause of wildfires in places like, Canada, Australia and the United States. Forked Lightning This type of lightning looks like a tree branch or a forked road. It shoots from the sky all the way to the ground. Rocket Lightning This lightning happens at the bottom of a cloud. It shoots out in a straight line, just like a rocket! Super Bolt This type of lightening is one hundred times brighter than any other kind of lightning.

It is very rare? Because lightning is a form of electricity, it is also very dangerous. While it looks beautiful from a distance, lightning bolts are hotter than the surface of the sun! Lightning can light up a thundercloud, stretch between clouds or even strike the ground. Sometimes these lightening strikes can hit trees, buildings, and people. To make sure you stay safe, it is very important to know what to do in a lightening storm.

When you see lightning, the best place to be is inside your house or a building. Once inside, wait for the storm to pass. Another good place to go is inside a car? How to videos Why join? What is electricity? Circuit, cell, bulb, switch Find out about the electrical terminology your primary-school child will be using in the classroom and try some hands-on activities to support learning about electricity at home.

Login or Register to add to your saved resources. Electricity is an energy. This energy can be used to power electrical items such as toasters, kettles, cookers, televisions and computer tablets. Electrical energy is caused by electrons the particles in atoms moving about to make a current.

What do children learn about electricity in primary school? Electricity can be created in a variety of ways such as: burning fossil fuels oil, gas, coal at power stations, using wind power generated by wind turbines, using solar power generated by the sun, using water power sometimes called hydropower generated by running or falling water.

Electricity is transported to our homes, schools and places of work through wires and cables. Electricity can also be stored in batteries sometimes called cells.

Primary-school children also learn about simple series electrical circuits. A simple series electrical circuit is a circuit for electricity to flow around as shown in the diagram. It's simple because the circuit is a single wire running from a battery to a bulb and back again. The diagram shows a battery cell with wires connecting it to the bulb. Some of the electrical vocabulary your child will learn to use includes these terms: Current: this is the amount of electricity flowing through the circuit basically a flow of electrons moving in a loop in the circuit.

It can be measured using an ammeter and measured in amps. Voltage: is the difference in electrical energy between two parts of a circuit. It can be measured using a volt meter and is measured in volts. The bigger the voltage, the bigger the current. Large electrical items need a higher electrical voltage and current than smaller items. Some objects conduct electricity; this means they allow electricity to flow through them easily. Electric online. Or, you can call us any time at From installing childproof outlets to conducting comprehensive electrical inspections , we are ready to help!

Now that your kids think you are a genius, it may be easier to get them to help out around the house! Check out these motivating tips from Molly Maid! Skip to main content. Your health and safety are our highest priority during this time. Click here for our precautionary measures. Keep it short and simple for preschoolers.

For older kids, you can provide a more detailed, complex response like the one below. Explain to children that electricity can be dangerous. Remind them to stay away from exposed wires or downed power lines, and to avoid using electrical devices near water, including tubs, sinks, puddles or toilets. Use a hands-on approach by conducting the simple electricity experiments for kids, listed below. What is Electricity? There are two basic forms of electricity: current electricity and static electricity.

Current electricity alternating current is the energy that flows through wires in our homes and powers our lights, televisions, computers, and appliances. Batteries also supply direct current electricity.