2008

. .ity
Electr ic
made easy
 .
What is..
liance in your house.
Electricity runs almost every app
gs like lights, computers,
Without it, you wouldn’t have thin
televisions, or refrigerators!

electricity?
.
trons’ from one atom to another atom
Electricity is the flow of energy, or ‘elec
, fabric –
ything around us, such as metal, food
Atoms are the building blocks of ever , but scien tists can
ll for you to see with your eyes
even you! These atoms are too sma
see them with special microscopes.
or ‘nucleus’.
smaller particles including a centre
Atoms and cells are made up of even unch arged
ged particles called protons, and
The nucleus contains positively char icles calle d
include negatively charged part
particles called neutrons. Atoms also arou nd the earth.
the nucleus just like the moon
electrons, which spin quickly around
trons that
h make up metal or wire, have elec
Some kinds of atoms, like those whic happens,
when they are charged. When this
flow easily from one atom to another
rated, creating electricity!
a ‘current’ or ‘flow’ of energy is gene

Click here for the full Fact sheet

 .
ho
W . .d is covered
electricity?
Electricity wasn’t discovered by any single person.
eek
Lots of people discovered it over a very long time. The Gr r
o
word f
It all began in 600BC when a Greek philosopher rubbed a piece e r is
amb
of amber with a fur cloth. He found that doing this could attract tr on’
‘elec
lightweight things to it, like straw or feathers.

This made him the first person to discover static electricity,

1769
James Watt invents the
and the first of many to discover how to make electricity!

steam engine. The Watt is

named after him. 1879
16th Century 1820s Thomas Edison invents the
first light bulb. He also
Dr William Gilbert proves
Andre Marie Ampere is the invents a type of generator
many substances are
first to explain how the that works with James
electric and magnetic,
flow of electricity works. Watts’ steam engine.
not just amber.
The unit of electric current, Together they make it
the ‘Amp’ is named possible for us to produce
after him. lots of electricity today!

1752
Benjamin Franklin flies a kite in 1831
a thunderstorm and proves that
the ‘electric’ spark from amber is 1792 Michael Faraday invents
the first electric generator.
the same thing as lightning. The Alessandro Volta discovers
lightning strike that proves this that an electric current
nearly kills him! can be created when two
metals touch. He invents
the electric battery and
the word ‘Volt’ is named
after him.

Click here for the full Fact sheet

 . .
Electricity down under
Australia was very quick to start
using electricity.
a novelty to something
Here’s how it went from being
we can’t imagine life without!

1863
The first electric light is put on
public display in Australia at the 1894 1927
By now, one third of all homes in
Observatory in Sydney. Melbourne is the first city in Australia Australia have electricity and the most
to have a power station and the first to popular appliance is the clothes iron.
have electric street lights.

1888
Tamworth is the first Australian
1904 Today
Sydney gets its first power station. It’s built in There are nearly 8 million househo
town to have street lighting. Penrith, lds
Pyrmont, which today looks very different! with electricity in Australia,
Moss Vale, Broken Hill and Redfern
follow soon after. and 70% have a computer.

Click here for the full Fact sheet

 . ..
How is electricity made?
Most families get their electricity from a power station.
wire spin.
in giant magnets. Different power stations use different methods to make the coil
At each power station, there is a huge coil of wire that spins around Here are a few different power stations people have built to get
those
with many more
The coil of wire is made up of hundreds and thousands of atoms, electrons flowing.
the wire spins, the giant magnets cause the electrons to
thousands of electrons. As
flow quickly from atom to atom, creating electricity.

.
. . Steam power stations
. Hydro-electric power stations Fuels such as petroleum, gas, coal or biomass (e.g. wood, rubbish)
Gas-turbine power stations are burnt to heat water, creating steam which moves through a
Flowing water (usually from a dam) pushes against the turbine turbine (like a big fan or rotor). The turbine makes the coil of wire
Fuels are burned to create hot gases which go through a turbine,
blades. This causes a rotor to turn, and the coil of wire to spin, spin and the electrons flow, creating electricity.
which in turn makes the coil of wire spin and electrons flow.
making the electrons flow.

. Nuclear power stations
Wind farms
Wind pushes against the turbine blades, causing a rotor
to turn, the coil of wire to spin, and the electrons to flow.
Click here for the full Fact sheet
. .
Geothermal power stations
Nuclear reactions are created to heat water. This turns into
Deep wells are drilled into the ground to reach the layer of the earth
steam and then goes into a turbine, which makes the coil of where rain water has soaked in and become really hot. Steam from
wire spin and the electrons flow. the hot water gushes out, going through a heat exchanger and then
a
turbine, making the coil of wire spin and the electrons flow.
Solar energy
Solar energy can also be used to make electricity.
Solar energy comes from the sun. There are two
types of solar energy: heat and light, and there
are two ways of collecting solar energy.
The first way is to ‘collect’ or absorb heat from the sun to heat
,
fluid, usually water. Thermal collectors are used for this process
and can be commonly found on the roof of homes as part of
solar hot water systems.

The second way is to use sunlight to make electricity. Solar

collectors used for this process are called Photovoltaic (PV) cells
(Photo = light, and voltaic = electricity). When the sun hits the PV
cell, the little particles of light excite the electrons in the cell, and
cause them to flow, generating electricity.

Frying fish us electricus),

e electric ee l (Electrophor ’s most electr
ic fish.
Th
th e pi ra nh a, is the world
a relative of
, it lives in
to 1. 8m (6ft) in length
Measuring up , and can stun
az il an d the Guianas
the rivers of Br to 650 volts
it h an el ec tr ic shock of up
its prey w ic bulb
light an electr
– enough to
an adult!
or stun a hum

Click here for the full Fact sheet

 ..
How does electricity
travel tOyour home?
1 3
Big transformers reduce the

5
Electricity is created at The voltage is reduced even
‘voltage’ so that it can travel
the power station further for local usage
down suburban powerlines

2 It travels through thick

transmission wires to the
substation in your suburb 4
Electricity travels to
smaller transformers
near your home

6
Electricity finally travels into
your house so you can use
appliances like TVs, toasters
and computers

What isvolta
Voltage mea
ns electrical p
ge?
the pressure ressure. You
that pushes w can think of
ater through it like
higher the vo a garden hose
ltage, the mo . The
through a po re electricity
werline. there is flow
ing

Click here for the full Fact sheet

 . . safely
Living with . .
. electricity
with it in ways we
Electricity can be dangerous, especially if we come into contact
ing these
should not. You can prevent getting an electric shock by follow
simple safety rules:

1
Switch off and unplug
Always make sure you have turned off the power first before
unplugging an appliance.

2 Don’t overcrowd
Don’t plug too many appliances into the one socket because
it might overheat.

3 Electricity and water don’t mix

Never leave an electrical appliance near the bath, sink or
basin, and never touch appliances, power points or light
switches with wet hands.

4
Electricity can jump great distances
Never enter into substation sites– it’s very dangerous in there
because electricity can jump or ‘arc’ easily. And never go
anywhere near a fallen powerline. If it’s live, you only need to
stand near it to get electrocuted.

5
Electricity always seeks a path to the ground
Never fly a model aeroplane or kite near overhead powerlines.
If it hits a powerline, electricity could travel down the string and
through you.

6 Emergencies
If you see someone get an electric shock, DO NOT touch them.
You’ll get shocked too. Instead turn off the electricity at the
switch, unplug the appliance the person is touching,
and call 000.
Click here for the full Fact sheet
 Safety rules ember
to rem .
outside

When playing outside always remember to:

1 stay clear of overhead powerlines

sure favourite trees, tree branches and cubby houses
2 make
are clear of powerlines

3 fly kites or model aeroplanes away from overhead powerlines

a big storm or strong winds, check outside play areas to
4 after
How b.irds s.it on a powe .
make sure there are no fallen or damaged powerlines
stay out in open spaces and close to the ground if you get
5 rline
caught in an electrical storm
and stay safe
6 look up before climbing trees. If the kookaburra sits
on only one powerlin
e, it stays safe.
It’s when the wings of
a large bird – or flying
touch two powerlines fox – accidentally
at the same time that
because a new circuit it gets hurt. That’s
of electricity is create
through the bird’s bo d that can flow
dy.
Click here for the full Fact sheet
Safety rules.remember
. to e
insid
When inside your home, remember to:
1 unplug bathroom and kitchen appliances when not in use
that appliance cords and plugs aren’t damaged or worn before
2 check
touching them

3 keep electrical appliances well away from water

your hands before touching appliances, power points
4 dorrylight switches
al appliances with respect
5 t(soreatnoelectric
knives in toasters for example!)
the numbe r of appliances plugged into a single power point
6 keep
to a minimum.

Click here for the full Fact sheet

 How to
use le.s.s
electricity
Think of how much electricity you use in a day.
school,
From your alarm clock waking you up, to your hot shower before
right through to watching your favourite TV show at night, you’re
constantly using electricity.

Now think of everyone in the world using as much electricity

as you, every day. That’s a lot of electricity!
saving
That’s why it’s important we save electricity wherever we can. By
electricity we can save money on our energy bill. And we can also
to
reduce pollution and other environmental problems, all helping
make a difference.

Click here for the full Fact sheet

 How can you help?
Check out the In
Here’s a check list of energy saving challenges for totally interactiv
tegral Energy w
e Energy Calcula
ebsite for a
you to do around the house. Tick off the box for drag and drop al
l the appliances
tor. You can
into each
room of your ho
every energy saving challenge you complete! much energy yo
use and work ou
ur house is gene
t how
rating.

ditioners in rooms www.integral.co

only turn on heaters and air con m.au
being used
ners, close all the
when using heaters or air conditio
cool or warm air from
windows and doors to prevent the
where possible
escaping, and close the curtains
lights around your home
turn off your bedroom light and which
when you don’t need them, especially outdoor lights
can be easily forgotten
rgy is wasted when cool air
keep the fridge door closed. Ene
leaks out
instead of using the
help hang out clothes on the line
you don’t waste energy
clothes dryer. Sunlight is free and
finish using it. You waste
turn your computer off when you
day
energy if you leave it running all
os and stereos at the wall
turn off appliances like TVs, vide
when you have finished using it. Standby mode still
uses power
water, so turn off every tap
dripping taps waste a lot of hot
fully after you finish using it

er per minute, so take

s howers use up to 20 litres of wat
shorter showers (4 minutes) and hav e the taps turned
on low
your hands does not require
brushing your teeth or washing
hot water. Use cold water instead to help save energy.
Click here for the full Fact sheet
 w to re a d your
Ho ..
electricity meter at home
Electricity use is measured in kilowatt hours (kWh).
1 kWh equals 1,000 watts of electricity used in
one hour.
to
To measure how much electricity your family is using, ask an adult
check it is safe. Stand directly in front of it,
find the meter box and
g!
and start reading the dials. Be very careful not to touch anythin
rs
Read each dial one at a time and write down the matching numbe
from right to left as you read them.
1000 100
of
10
When a dial points between two numbers, write down the lower
down 0, but if it points
the two. If it points between 0 and 1, write
10,000
between 9 and 0, write down 9.
to
In the figure on the right, the reading is 0-2-8-0-8, which is equal
2,808 kilowatt hours (kWh).

Do the same thing in one week’s time, and then subtract the old
figure from the new. This will tell you how much energy your family
is using every week!
0 – 2 – 8 – 0 – 8
kW h
Are you an .
energenius’?
rgenius?”
Are you an “Ene r? u remembe
t electricity do yo
How much abou are officially
d find out if you
Take our quiz an
!
an “Energenius”

Quiz Questions
ber?
eek word for am
1. What is the Gr
the light bulb?
2. Who invented
town to have
W hich w as th e first Australian
3. protect the planet
street lighting? save money and
electricity?
to atom to create
10. Because it can help
flo w s fro m atom
4. What jump or arc

tricity created?
9. Yes, because it can
5. Where is elec 8. Powerlines

ge?
6. What is volta
7. Heat and light

lar energy?
s of collecting so
6. Electrical pressure
e th e tw o w ay
7. What ar 5. The power station
mes?
power to our ho
4. Electrons
8. What carries 3. Tamworth
not touching
you be el ectrocuted if you are 2. Thomas Edison
9. Can
a powerline?
1. Electron

ea?
energy a good id
Answers
10. Why is saving
LIL_4D1672_BRO