Electricity does not travel easily
through certain materials like special rubber, plastic, and
glass. These materials are known as "insulators" and they
are used to keep electricity from leaving the wires it
travels on.
Insulators
keep electricity in power lines. Glass, plastic or ceramic
insulators high up on power poles keep electricity from
traveling down the pole to the ground. If an insulator
breaks, or a power line becomes disconnected from the
insulators that hold it up, the line can fall to the ground
and energize the area around it with a lot of electricity.
If you touch a downed line-or even the ground near the
line-you could be hurt or killed. If a power line falls on a
car and you touch the car and the ground at the same time,
you would also get a shock.
Insulating
materials also keep electricity inside appliance cords.
Rubber or plastic insulation around the cords keeps the
electricity in the wires and prevents you from getting a
shock. If this insulation is broken or wears off, the
electricity can come through and shock you. Also, if you
overload an outlet by plugging in too many things, cord
insulation can overheat and melt, causing a shock and fire
hazard.
Next:
Related
Experiments
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Electricity
Travels Through Conductors
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