AG IN THE CLASSROOM - HELPING THE NEXT GENERATION UNDERSTAND THEIR CONNECTION TO AGRICULTURE

ENERGY READER - 2010

Electricity is a form of energy. Energy is theability to do work. Taking your dog for awalk, eating, and doing homework are waysyou use energy. There are so many differentways we use electrical energy everyday:

x Playing video games x Watching television x Turning lights on in your house

Electrical energy is the movement of chargedparticles, negative (-) and positive (+). It cancome from batteries or power plants and itcan also be found in nature. Electric powercompanies, like electric cooperatives, makethe electricity and transport it to your home using transmission and distributionpower lines.

Once the electricity is created, it movesalong cables to a substation transformer thatsends it to your home through distributionlines. Transformers convert the high voltageenergy in the lines to a lower voltage energysuitable for use inside homes and buildings.We use this electricity in our homes forlights, cooking, charging your iPod andwatching TV. We also use this electricity torun the air conditioning and water heater.

WWhhaatt iiss EElleeccttrriicciittyy??

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The Colorado Reader publication and Ag in the Classroom are projects of the Colorado Foundation forAgriculture. Educational projects are produced in cooperation with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, other

state and federal agencies, Colorado commodity groups, Colorado agricultural associations, state universitiesand colleges and interested individuals. Colorado Readers are provided free to educators requesting them. Formore information contact: Bette Blinde, Director, Colorado Foundation for Agriculture, P.O.Box 10, Livermore,

CO 80536 or phone (970) 881-2902. Financial support for this reader has been provided by:

How is electricity created? Have you ever wondered where electricity comes from? You might be surprised to learn that most electricity comesfrom magnets!

In 1831, Michael Faraday discovered that when a magnet is moved inside a coil of wire, electrical current flows in thewire. This discovery is known as Faraday's Law. Today, we use Faraday's Law to create electricity through generators.A generator uses powerful magnets and many coils of wire to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Most electricity we use is created bygenerators. Scientists are discoveringnew methods to make electricity. One way is to make solar energy intoelectrical energy.

MeasuringElectricityElectricity is measured in units ofpower called "watts." One watt is a small amount of power. In fact, it won't even light an average light bulb.

A kilowatt represents 1,000 watts. Akilowatt-hour (kWh) is equal to theenergy of 1,000 watts working for onehour. Kilowatts and kilowatt-hours areuseful for measuring amounts of ener-gy used by large appliances in yourhouse, like your washer and dryer.

One megawatt is 1,000 kilowatts, or1,000,000 watts. One megawatt isenough electricity for about 300 average households in the United States.

The Jones family of four uses about 27,800 kilowatt hours (kwh) of electricity each year.One ton of coal can produce 2,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity. One ton is equal to 2,000 pounds.

Here are some examples of how many kilowatt-hours it takes to run each of these appliances eachyear in their household.

Clothes dryer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,020 kwhComputer with monitor and printer . . 329 kwhDishwasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 420 kwhElectric furnace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,250 kwhMicrowave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .190 kwhOven/stove . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .346 kwhRefrigerator/freezer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,800 kwhTelevision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .439 kwhWii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 kwhHair dryer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120 kwhWasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104 kwhWater heater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,806 kwh

How many tons of coal are used each year by the Jones family to produce the electricity neededto run their household of four people? ________________________________________________How many pounds of coal does this equal?_____________________________________________How many pounds of coal does each person use? _______________________________________How many pounds of coal does each person use per day? (There are 365 days in a year.)_______Which appliance takes the most electricity to run each year?_______________________________What percentage of the total kilowatt hours does the electric furnace take to run? ____________

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Energy SourcesElectricity is known as a secondary energysource. It is generated by using energy fromdifferent types of fuel. When we use electricity in our home, the electrical powerwas probably produced by burning coal. Therefore, coal is anenergy source.

Coal is the most common fuel for generating electricity in theUnited States. In 2009, nearly half of the electricity produced inAmerica used coal as its fuel source. We have many coal mines inColorado, this coal is used to power houses across the state. Coalis a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock.

The fuel in coal comes from the energy stored by plants thatlived millions of years ago, when theearth was partly covered withswampy forests. Layers of dead plantsat the bottom of swamps were cov-ered by layers of water and dirt. Thistrapped the energy of the deadplants. The heat and pressure fromthe top layers helped the plantremains turn into coal. Over 90 per-cent of the coal used in the UnitedStates is used to generate electricity.

Electricity can also be created by using other fuel sources, like naturalgas. Nuclear power is another way tocreate electricity. Nuclear plants usethe heat given off when the atoms ofuranium are split. Uranium is minedfrom the ground, just like coal. Theuranium is formed into pellets thatare put in tubes inside a nuclear reactor. The heat given off when theatoms are split is used as fuel to create electricity.

Using a dictionary, look up the word “combustible”and write the definition for how it is used in this story.

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From the story, list three energy sources used to produce electricity.

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Electricitytravels at thespeed of light- more than

186,000 milesper second!

The steps used in generating electricity from coal:1. The coal is pulverized or crushed.2. Coal is burned, which heats a boiler. Water inside the boiler turns to steam, creating pressure.3. The pressure from the steam turns a turbine. A turbine is an engine that spins around, causing the

heat energy of the burning coal to become mechanical energy.4. A generator creates electricity from the spinning turbine.5. The electricity is transmitted to our homes, schools, business and factories over powerlines. 6. The steam is cooled and changes back to water, and the cycle begins all over again.

What is a volt?Voltage is the measure of

pressure applied to electrons to make them movebetween two points. Voltage

is measured in volts.

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RenewablesElectricity can also be generated by using the power of renewable resources such as water, windand solar power. You may have seen large wind turbines or solar panels while traveling in Colorado.Some people have smaller wind and solar systems to power their homes, farms and businesses.

Renewable resources are beneficial because they provide us with a never-ending sources of electric-ity. They also are earth-friendly since they don't use up our natural resources. But, some renewablesare more expensive to produce than electricity made from coal and natural gas. Another challengeis that renewable resources are often located in remote areas and it is expensive to build powerlines to move the electricity to the towns and cities where people can use it. The use of renewablesources are not always available - cloudy days reduce solar power; calm days reduce wind power;and droughts reduce the water available from hydropower.

The use of renewable fuels is expected to continue to grow, although we will still rely on coal andnatural gas to meet most of our energy needs. The five renewable sources used most often are:

wind, biomass (material from plants or animals), hydropower (water), solar (sun) and geothermal (heat from the earth).

Powering RuralAmericaIn rural areas of Colorado, electricity is usually delivered by rural electric cooperatives. Electric cooperatives were first formed in the United States inthe 1930s. Farmers, ranchers and other people livingin rural areas needed electricity. Electric companiesthought it was too expensive to provide electricity tothese areas. People living on farms and ranches gottogether and created their own power companiescalled rural electric cooperatives, or REAs.

A cooperative is a special kind of business. The people who use the business - the customers - alsoown it. Cooperatives are often called "consumer-owned" businesses. (Consumer is another word forcustomer.) Cooperatives provide many kinds of products and services: buying food, selling crops andproviding electricity.

Rural electric cooperatives work hard to provide families with reliable and affordable electricity topower homes, farms and businesses.

Think about how different your life would be withoutelectricity. Colorado's electric power network energizes our lives every minute of every day.

Safety First - Electricity can be deadly!

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One of the most important things to know about electricity isthat it can be dangerous. It doesn't take much power to hurtsomeone -- less than one-fifth of the electricity it takes to lighta bulb can kill an adult.

How do people get shocked?Electricity flows through water almost as easily as it travelsthrough the wire that brings electricity to your house. Yourbody is 70 percent water. So, if you touch electricity, it will flowthrough you, and you can be badly hurt.

Electricity is lazy! It tries to find a conductor, such as metal,wet wood or water. Never touch an energized bare wire orfaulty appliance, the electricity will instantly pass through youto the ground, causing a harmful or fatal shock.

Follow the five rules below to keep yourself and others safearound electricity.

Five Rules for Electrical Safety:x Always ask a grownup for help when you need to use

something that uses electricity.x Don't yank or pull electric cords from a wall. Pulling cords

can damage the outlet, appliance or plug. x Never overload outlets with too many plugs.x Keep electrical appliances, like blow dryers, away from

water. Water and electricity don't mix. Most electricalaccidents in the home happen when people useelectricity near water.

x Look up for power lines. Never touch a power line,especially if it has fallen down.

ACTIVITY: Study the three illustrations on the left. On the lines below, write two sentences about eachpicture describing the danger illustrated.

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A bolt of lightningcan measure up to

three million(3,000,000) volts - andit lasts less than one

second!

One lightning bolthas enough

electricity to power 200, 000

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Don't be an energy hogYou've probably heard the grownups in your house say, "Turn off the lights!" or "Close the refrigerator door!" Have you everwondered why?

Every year, we use more energy than we did the year before. Infact, the amount of energy Americans use has doubled every 20years. All of that energy adds up and costs money. Much of it iswasted by not using it wisely.

Hoq can you use energy wisely?It might seem like kids can't do much to help save energy. But,every time you turn off a light or close the refrigerator door,you're saving electricity. You can also help by being an energyefficiency ambassador. You can do this by doing your part toreduce energy use and remind grownups to do things that saveenergy, like turning down the heat in the winter, turning offlights and turning off their computers.

Your turn. Study the energy use in your classroom and inyour school. Write a list of ways your school might be able tosave energy.

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The first power generation plant -

owned by Thomas Edison- opened in New York

City in 1882.

You may have heard of direct current (DC) andalternating current (AC). The difference betweenthe two is in the way the electrons flow. In DC

electrons move in a single direction while in ACthey change directions, switching between back-

wards and forwards. The electricity use in your home is AC while DC comes from sources

like batteries.

" Back in the 1880s there was even a ��war ofcurrents�� between Thomas Edison, who helped

invent DC, and Nikola Tesla, who helped invent AC.Both wanted their system to be used.

AC eventually won out.

When you think of working with electricity, the first thing that comesto mind is a job at a power plant. Those working in a power plantare very important. There are also many other people who workoutside of the power plant to get electricity to your home. A careerin the electric utility field can involve installing and repairing powerlines, writing a news release for the local paper or planning howmuch electricity will be needed to meet the needs of the customers.Some of these jobs are:

- accountants- administrative assistants- advertisers- cashiers- computer specialists- dispatchers- drafters- economic developers- engineers- environmental specialists- graphic artists- line and substation maintenance- locators- marketers- planners/forecasters- power plant operators

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Left is the electricitygeneration plant atCraig, Colorado.

Below are examples ofsome of the jobs doneby workers in the fieldof electricity generation.

Careers in Electricity

ACTIVITY:Study the pictures above and on a sheet ofpaper write questions you might ask thesepeople about their jobs.

SUPER ENERGY SAVER CHECKLIST

Talk to your family and check the box in front ofthose items you are willing to do regularly to saveenergy around your home. Sign the checklist andreturn it to your teacher and you and your familywill be an official "Super Energy Saver" family.

The Easy Energy Action Plan10 Simple Ways to Use Energy Wisely

1. Turn off the lights.

2. Use energy-saving lightbulbs.

3. Shut off computers.

4. Use “smart” power strips.

5. Turn off entertainment devices (TV, game systems, etc.) when not in use.

6. Use natural light, heat and cooling.

7. Unplug phone chargers when not in use.

8. Use ENERGY STAR appliances.

9. Use programmable digital thermostats.

10. Talk to your parents about energy saving home improvements.

List other ways your family saves energy:____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student’s Signature:_________________________________________Parent’s Signature:_________________________________________

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Across4. most common fuel for generating electricity8. never-ending source9. movement of charged particles to create energy

10. able to burn

Down1. these wires carry electricity from one place to another2. converts high energy to lower energy3. consumer-owned businesses5. 1,000 kilowatts6. type of facility used to make electricity7. measurement of electricity

Energy Crossword

Electricity plays a role inthe way your heart beats.Muscle cells in the heart

are contracted by electrici-ty going through the heart.

Electrocardiogram (ECG)machines used in hospitals

measure the electricitygoing through someone’sheart. When the person is

healthy it usually shows aline moving across a screenwith regular spikes as the

heart beats.

The first use ofwater to generateelectricity was in1882 on the Foxriver in the USA,

It produced enoughpower to light two

paper mills and ahouse.

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