ELT1030 Conversion & Distribution Student Introduction Worksheet

ELT1030 Conversion & Distribution Student Introduction Worksheet

Use the textbook, provided handouts and other resources as indicated to complete the following questions/statements in the spaces provided.

Sources and Characteristics of Electricity – Chapter 4

Watch the video “Bill Nye the Science Guy on Static Electricity

1)What is the difference between static and current electricity?

2)Give an example of static electricity and explain where the electrons are moving.

3)If a material has a shortage of electrons, it is said to have a ______charge. If a material has a surplus of electrons, it has a ______charge.

4)The force that exists in the space between and around charged objects is called ______.

5)What is the Law of Electrostatic Charges?

6)There are many different ways to demonstrate the effect static electricity has on objects. Watch the video clips Static Electricity and Rice Crispies and Static Electricity and Water. Create your own experiment or demonstration which demonstrates the effect of static electricity in different ways. Present your experiment or demonstration to your teacher and classmates.

7)If the same principle of static electricity applies to both lightning and the static created by walking across a carpeted room, why can lightning kill a person? Is it possible to build enough static electricity by walking across a carpet to cause physical injury?

8)Name three ways to produce a static charge.

9)Select a useful application for static electricity and explain how it is used in the process.

10)Current electricity is defined as an electrical charge in motion. What causes the electrons to flow?

11)Static and current electricity are basically the same. Static electricity can do work when it is discharged, but if this is the case, is there a situation where electrons at rest do work?

12)The voltage source dictates whether current electricity is alternating or direct. Give examples of one power source for each.

13)What is polarity? How is it different between direct and alternating current?

14)Electromotive force causes electrons to move. There are six primary sources of this force. Name each of the six sources, give an example of where it is used in a practical application, and explain how it operates.

15)Define the following terms:

1. Coulomb
2. Direct current
3. Alternating current
4. Thermocouple
5. Thermopile
6. Piezoelectricity
7. Generator
8. Alternator

Electric Power - Chapter 19

16)What piece of equipment is common to hydroelectric, thermal –electric and nuclear power?

17)Operating a generator all boils down to turning the shaft of the generator. If the concept of a generator was available in the 1600’s, describe three ways they may have turned the shaft.

18)Did people of the pre-industrialized world use turning shafts for work? Give two examples and explain how the shaft was turned. Make a sketch of both examples.

19)Your instructor has a piece of equipment called a “no contact laser tachometer”. It is used to measure the revolutions per minute (RPM) of a shaft, pulley or turbine. Get this piece of equipment from the instructor and read the instruction book. Go around the school, find three turning pieces of equipment and measure the minimum and maximum RPM. Record that information in the chart below.

Source of RPM / Minimum RPM / Maximum RPM

20)There are more and more alternative ways of generating electricity being used in the world today. Give three reasons why these alternative ways of generating electricity are becoming more and more important.

21)Not all forms of electricity utilize the turning of a generator for creating power. Explain how one of these forms work.

22)In order to transmit electricity over long distances, high voltages must be used. This allows for smaller current being needed to move the electricity. What are three drawbacks, or special considerations that must be made when transmitting high voltage electricity?

Steam power is responsible for much of the power used in Alberta. Select a steam powered generating station in Alberta and create a fact poster for it. Include a picture, important dates, size, fuel, life expectancy, cost, power capabilities, jobs, etc. You may want to get information not only from the internet, but by contacting the power plant or the power company. Coordinate your selected power plant with your instructor so each plant is researched only once. Create a bulletin board in your school about power generation in Alberta.

23)What is the piece of equipment that takes the high voltage electricity and converts it to usable household voltages?

24)What role does a planned brownout play in conserving electricity?

25)Electric energy is the work performed by an electric current. Name three different electrical appliances in your home that change electrical current into another form of electricity.

26)What unit is used to measure power?

27)The formula for calculating electric power is P=VxI, where P = power in watts (W), V = voltage in volts (V), and I = current in amperes (A). What is the power rating of a range element that draws 7.5A when connecting to a rated voltage of 230V?

28)How many amperes will a 1250W toaster draw when connected to its rated voltage of 120V?

29)How much power is dissipated in the form of heat when 0.5A of current flows through a 50Ω resistor?

A major component of this module is experimenting with different forms of generating electricity. Your instructor has a collection of experiments which deal with hydro, solar, thermal and wind energy. Complete the Generating Electricity Experiment Worksheet using the different forms of electricity generation available to you. Perform at least six experiments with generating electricity.

Batteries – Chapter 17

30)Voltaic cells operate by a positive and negative electrode in a ______solution.

31)An important detail is that the electrodes are of ______metals.

32)What is the difference between a cell and a battery?

33)In what unit is the energy capacity of a cell or battery rated?

34)Define the term shelf life as it applies to a battery.

35)How does a battery made with carbon-zinc compare in price, energy capacity and shelf life with an alkaline battery.

36)What is the difference between wet cell and dry cell batteries?

37)What makes button-type mercury batteries best suited for applications such as watches and calculators?

38)Give four advantages of lithium cells over alkaline cells.

39)Batteries can be connected in different ways to increase different characteristics. What characteristics are increased by connecting batteries in:

1. Series
   
2. Parallel
   
3. Series-parallel
   

40)What is a load test and why is it the best way to test a battery?

41)How can a lead-acid battery be restored to a fully charged state?

42)What are cold cranking amperes, and why are they important in a lead-acid battery?

43)How does a battery hydrometer test the state of charge in a lead –acid battery?

44)Explain the difference between slow charging and fast charging.

It is possible to build a simple battery. Watch the video Create a Lemon Batteryand build your own version. Complete a Generating Electricity Experiment Worksheet for the lemon battery. Research battery building and try to build other batteries using household items – whether they be different fruits and vegetables, household liquids, or commonly available materials. Build at least three different types of batteries.

45)Why are fruit powered batteries not in practical use, or are they?

46)Can you hook fruit batteries up in series and parallel like other batteries?

Environmental Impact

There are many concerns about the impact power generation has on the environment. Alberta is home to some of the largest fossil-fuel reserves in North America – if not the world. Fossil fuel, however, is not a renewable source of energy, and the impact it can have on the environment is significant. There are many forms of alternative energy generation, but they bring with them other forms of environmental impact. Select one form of non-renewable energy generation and compare it to an alternative form of energy generation. Examine the cost effectiveness of the power generated, the environmental impact of the generation, the issues related to using this form of generation, the applications of it and the future for this type of electricity generation. Contain and present your information in a power point presentation and a handout for your audience. Be sure to include a bibliography for all of the information you use.

Final Project

Design and build a project that uses an alternative source of energy. Use this project to power a practical device and demonstrate it in your classroom. Create a data sheet for it to give to your classmates when you demonstrate it. Include a diagram of the project, parts list, specifications of input/outputs, specific uses and pros/cons of the device.