Registro: 1

Electricity. By: Currie, Stephen. Electricity (ELL). 2009, p1-2. 2p. 2 Color
Photographs, 3 Diagrams. Abstract: Electricity is a source of power.
Many machines work because of electricity. There are two kinds of
electricity. One kind is static electricity. The other kind is electrical current.
[ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Reading Level (Lexile): 700.(AN:
33467664)
Electricity

Electricity is a source of power. Many machines work because of electricity. There are two kinds of electricity.One kind is
static electricity. The other kind is electrical current.

Electrons
Everything in the world is made of tiny parts called atoms. Atoms are made up of even smaller parts. The smallest parts
of atoms are called electrons, neutrons, and protons. Two of the parts of an atom-electronsand protons-have a
charge, or power.

: [Caption] This is a model of an atom. The yellow lines show electron move around the nucleus of the atom.

Protons have a positive (plus or +) charge. Electrons have a negative (minus or -) charge. (Neutrons haveno
charge.)

Most of the time, atoms have the same number of protons as electrons. These atoms are balanced. If a balanced
atom has four protons, it will also have four electrons. Sometimes atoms do not have the same number of protons and
electrons. These atoms are charged atoms. Atoms with more protons than electronshave a positive charge. Atoms
with more electrons have a negative charge.

Sometimes, electrons jump from one atom to another. When electrons move from one atom to another, theymake or
produce energy (power). This kind of energy is called electrical energy, or electricity.
Static Electricity
There are two kinds of electricity. One kind is called static electricity. Static electricity is electricity that does not move.
It stays in one place.

However, static electricity seems to jump from one thing to another. That is because millions of electrons movebetween
things at the same time. One example of this is lightning. Lightning is a kind of static electricity.
Lightning happens when electrons move between the ground and storm clouds in the sky.

Static electricity is in people's homes, too. If a person walks across a rug on a dry day, the number of electronsin the
person's body can change. When that person touches a light switch, a cat's fur, or a piece of metal, lots of electrons might
move between that object (thing) and the person's body. This causes a sudden sting in the person's hand. That is called
an electric shock. Electric shock is an example of static electricity.

Electrical Currents
The other kind of electricity is called an electrical current. In an electrical current, electricity moves from oneplace to
another. Electrical current is a lot like a river. The energy moves or flows from one place to another, just like water in a
river. People use this kind of electricity every day.

: [caption] Wires or cables are used to delivery electricity.

Electrical current can move through many different kinds of objects. If electricity (the current) moves easily through a
certain material, the material is a good conductor of electricity. Wood is not a very good conductor ofelectricity. However,
salt water isa good conductor.

Metal is an excellent conductor of electricity. That is why people usually use metal wire to send electric currents. Most
towns and cities have electric wires. The wires may hang overhead, or they may be under theground. These wires
carry electricity. There are electric wires inside homes and schools, too.

In most homes and buildings, the source (starting place) of electrical power is electrical outlets in the walls. This is a
place in the wall where people can plug in things like stoves, televisions (TVs), lamps, and computers. When people plug
in a stove, they are connecting a wire from the stove to a wire inside the wall through an electrical outlet. The wires carry
electricity to power the stove.

Power Plants
People use a lot of electricity, so they need to make a lot of it. Electricity is made at special factories called power
plants. Power plants take materials, such as oil, coal, or gas, and burn them to make electricity. Then the electricity
flows out through power lines. The power lines deliver or bring the electricity to homes and other buildings, so that people
can use the electricity.

: [caption] This illustration shows how electricity is created in power plants and delivered to homes.

Some electricity is made from other kinds of power, too. For example, the water in rivers can make electricity. People
build dams to stop rivers. As water pours over the dam, it makes electrical power. Windmills and windturbines can also
make electricity. Parts of windmills and wind turbines move when the wind blows on them, and this makes electrical
power.

[Caption] These wind turbines take energy from the wind and turn it into electricity.

86008913 - Copyright Getty Images

Batteries
People can also get electricity from batteries. Batteries turn chemicals into electrical currents. The battery holds the
energy.
Batteries all work the same way. A person connects the battery to something that uses electricity, such as aradio. The
person turns the radio on. Then the electricity moves from the battery into the radio. This lets the radio start to work.

[caption] Batteries contain chemicals that are turned into electrical current.

sb10065391m-001 Copyright Getty Images

Bibliography
Reference Book

Baldasso, Renzo. "Electricity." Encyclopedia of the Scientific Revolution, 2000. Online. EBSCO. 26 September2008.
http://search.ebscohost.com.bdigital.sena.edu.co/login.aspx? direct=true&db=sch&AN=20062902&site=ehost-live.

Websites

Energy Kid's Page. Department of Energy. 27 September 2008.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/science/formsofenergy.html.

Energy Story: What Is Electricity? California Energy Commission. 27 September 2008.

http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter02.html.

Energy Story: Static Electricity and Resistance. California Energy Commission. 27 September 2008.
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter03.html.

Comprehension Test

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. What charge do electrons have?

A. Positive (plus of +)
B. Negative (minus or -)
 C. They do not have a charge.
D. They have a positive and negative charge.

2. Electrical energy, or electricity, can occur when

A. protons jump from one atom to another.

B. electrons jump from one atom to another.
C. neutrons jump from one atom to another.
D. both protons and electrons jump from one atom to another at the
same time.

3. Something that can be used to make electricity is

A. a power plant.
B. a windmill and wind turbine.
C. a dam.
D. all of the above

Fill-in-the-Blank Questions

4. If an atom has the same number of protons as it does electrons,the atom

is Balanced

5. static electricity is
electricity that stays in one
place and does not move.

6. Metal and salt water are examples of good

conductor, meaning
electricity moveseasily
through them.

By Stephen Currie

Stephen Currie has extensive experience in writing for middle and high school readers. He has
published books on topics ranging from invasive species to child labor and from the Mississippi River
to the constructionof Steinway pianos. He has also written curriculum materials for secondary-level
subjects including math, history, science, and personal finance. He has taught classes and given
workshops for students of all ages from kindergarten through college.

Copyright of Electricity (ELL) is the property of Great Neck Publishing and its content may not be
copied oremailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express
written permission.
However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.

TRADUCCIÓN

Electricidad

La electricidad es una fuente de energía. Muchas máquinas funcionan gracias a la electricidad. Hay dos
tipos de electricidad. Un tipo es la electricidad estática. El otro tipo es la corriente eléctrica.

Electrones
Todo en el mundo está hecho de pequeñas partes llamadas átomos. Los átomos están formados por
partes aún más pequeñas. Las partes más pequeñas de los átomos se llaman electrones, neutrones y
protones. Dos de las partes de un átomo, los electrones y los protones, tienen carga o potencia.

Los protones tienen una carga positiva (más o +). Los electrones tienen una carga negativa (menos o -
). (Los neutrones no tienen carga.)

La mayor parte del tiempo, los átomos tienen el mismo número de protones que de electrones. Estos
átomos están balanceados. Si un átomo equilibrado tiene cuatro protones, también tendrá cuatro
electrones. A veces los átomos no tienen el mismo número de protones y electrones. Estos átomos son
átomos cargados. Los átomos con más protones que electrones tienen carga positiva. Los átomos con
más electrones tienen carga negativa.

A veces, los electrones saltan de un átomo a otro. Cuando los electrones se mueven de un átomo a
otro, generan o producen energía (potencia). Este tipo de energía se llama energía eléctrica o
electricidad.

Electricidad estática

Hay dos tipos de electricidad. Un tipo se llama electricidad estática. La electricidad estática es
electricidad que no se mueve. Se queda en un solo lugar.

Sin embargo, la electricidad estática parece saltar de una cosa a otra. Eso es porque millones de
electrones se mueven entre las cosas al mismo tiempo. Un ejemplo de esto es un rayo. Los rayos son
un tipo de electricidad estática.
Los relámpagos ocurren cuando los electrones se mueven entre el suelo y las nubes de tormenta en el
cielo.

La electricidad estática también está en los hogares de las personas. Si una persona camina sobre una
alfombra en un día seco, la cantidad de electrones en el cuerpo de la persona puede cambiar. Cuando
esa persona toca un interruptor de luz, la piel de un gato o una pieza de metal, muchos electrones
pueden moverse entre ese objeto (cosa) y el cuerpo de la persona. Esto provoca una picadura
repentina en la mano de la persona. Eso se llama descarga eléctrica. Una descarga eléctrica es un
ejemplo de electricidad estática.

Corrientes eléctricas
El otro tipo de electricidad se llama corriente eléctrica. En una corriente eléctrica, la electricidad se
mueve de un lugar a otro. La corriente eléctrica se parece mucho a un río. La energía se mueve o fluye
de un lugar a otro, como el agua en un río. La gente usa este tipo de electricidad todos los días.

La corriente eléctrica puede moverse a través de muchos tipos diferentes de objetos. Si la electricidad
(la corriente) se mueve fácilmente a través de cierto material, el material es un buen conductor de
electricidad. La madera no es muy buena conductora de la electricidad. Sin embargo, el agua salada es
un buen conductor.

El metal es un excelente conductor de electricidad. Es por eso que la gente suele usar alambre de
metal para enviar corrientes eléctricas. La mayoría de los pueblos y ciudades tienen cables eléctricos.
Los cables pueden colgar por encima de la cabeza o pueden estar bajo tierra. Estos cables transportan
electricidad. También hay cables eléctricos dentro de las casas y las escuelas.

En la mayoría de las casas y edificios, la fuente (lugar de partida) de la energía eléctrica son los
enchufes eléctricos en las paredes. Este es un lugar en la pared donde las personas pueden enchufar
cosas como estufas, televisores (TV), lámparas y computadoras. Cuando las personas enchufan una
estufa, están conectando un cable de la estufa a un cable dentro de la pared a través de un
tomacorriente. Los cables transportan electricidad para alimentar la estufa.

Plantas de energía

Las personas usan mucha electricidad, por lo que necesitan generar mucha. La electricidad se produce
en fábricas especiales llamadas centrales eléctricas. Las centrales eléctricas toman materiales, como
petróleo, carbón o gas, y los queman para generar electricidad. Luego, la electricidad fluye a través de
las líneas eléctricas. Las líneas eléctricas entregan o llevan la electricidad a los hogares y otros
edificios, para que las personas puedan usar la electricidad.
Parte de la electricidad también se produce a partir de otros tipos de energía. Por ejemplo, el agua de
los ríos puede producir electricidad. La gente construye represas para detener los ríos. A medida que el
agua se vierte sobre la presa, genera energía eléctrica. Los molinos de viento y las turbinas eólicas
también pueden producir electricidad. Las partes de los molinos de viento y las turbinas eólicas se
mueven cuando el viento sopla sobre ellas, y esto genera energía eléctrica.

Baterías
Las personas también pueden obtener electricidad de las baterías. Las baterías convierten los
productos químicos en corrientes eléctricas. La batería contiene la energía.

Todas las baterías funcionan de la misma manera. Una persona conecta la batería a algo que usa
electricidad, como una radio. La persona enciende la radio. Luego, la electricidad pasa de la batería a la
radio. Esto permite que la radio comience a funcionar.
Guía 1
1. Dams

A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs
created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human
consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigability. Hydropower is often used in conjunction with
dams to generate electricity. A dam can also be used to collect or store water which can be evenly
distributed between locations. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other
structures such as floodgates or levees (also known as dikes) are used to manage or prevent water flow
into specific land regions.

• earthquake safety evaluation of dams

2. Transmission line

In electrical engineering, a transmission line is a specialized cable or other structure designed to conduct
electromagnetic waves in a contained manner. The term applies when the conductors are long enough
that the wave nature of the transmission must be taken into account.

• Terminal specification for a transmission line with two shield wires.

3. Power plant

A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant,
is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an
electrical grid.

• They're at the power plant north of the city.

4. Wire

A wire is a flexible strand of metal.

Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Wire gauges come
in various standard sizes, as expressed in terms of a gauge number or cross-sectional area.

• In the center, attach a small piece of thin wire.

5. Wind turbine

A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. As of 2020,
hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, were generating over 650
gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year.[1] Wind turbines are an increasingly important source
of intermittent renewable energy, and are used in many countries to lower energy costs and reduce
reliance on fossil fuels.

• Buy investment in Italy: wind farm - wind turbine, for sale.

6. Ground

In electrical engineering, ground or earth may be a reference point in an electrical circuit from which
voltages are measured, a common return path for electric current, or a direct physical connection to the
Earth.
Electrical circuits may be connected to ground for several reasons. Exposed conductive parts of electrical
equipment are connected to ground, to protect users from electrical shock hazard. If internal insulation
fails, dangerous voltages may appear on the exposed conductive parts. Connecting exposed parts to
ground will allow circuit breakers (or RCDs) to interrupt power supply in the event of a fault. In electric
power distribution systems, a protective earth (PE) conductor is an essential part of the safety provided
by the earthing system.

• The ground floor consists of 2 bedrooms and a bathroom.

7. Electrical energy

electrical energy is energy related to forces on electrically-charged particles and the movement of those
particles (often electrons in wires, but not always). This energy is supplied by the combination of current
and electric potential (often referred to as voltage because electric potential is measured in volts) that is
delivered by a circuit (e.g., provided by an electric power utility). Motion (current) is not required; for
example, if there is a voltage difference in combination with charged particles, such as static electricity or
a charged capacitor, the moving electrical energy is typically converted to another form of energy (e.g.,
thermal, motion, sound, light, radio waves, etc.).

• The machines are controlled by the electrical energy in the computer.

8. electron

The electron (e− or β−) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary electric charge. Electrons
belong to the first generation of the lepton particle family, and are generally thought to be elementary
particles because they have no known components or substructure. The electron's mass is approximately
1/1836 that of the proton.

• A negatively charged beta particle is identical to an electron.

9. Proton

A proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol p, H+, or 1H+ with a positive electric charge of +1 e
(elementary charge). Its mass is slightly less than that of a neutron and 1,836 times the mass of an
electron (the proton-to-electron mass ratio). Protons and neutrons, each with masses of approximately
one atomic mass unit, are jointly referred to as "nucleons" (particles present in atomic nuclei).

• Ernest Rutherford finds the first evidence for a proton.

10. Atom

An atom is a particle that consists of a nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by a cloud of
electrons. The atom is the basic particle of the chemical elements, and the chemical elements are
distinguished from each other by the number of protons that are in their atoms.

• A neutral atom has equal numbers of electrons and protons.