For my family Bryan Brooke Jesse and Claire Thanks for picking up the loose ends while I write V C
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 CHAPTER ONE SHOCKING ELECTRICITY 6 CHAPTER TWO LIGHTNING STRIKES 12 CHAPTER THREE WATER AS A CONDUCTOR 16 CHAPTER FOUR METALS AND GRAPHITE 19 CHAPTER FIVE SEMICONDUCTORS 24 CHAPTER SIX SUPERCONDUCTORS 29 EXPERIMENT CONDUCTOR OR INSULATOR 34 Solve It Answer Key 35 Glossary 36 Selected Bibliography 37 Further Information 38 Index 39
Lightning may strike a tree building or metal pole during a thunderstorm
INTRODUCTION Thunderstorms are powerful You have probably heard that it can be dangerous to stand next to a tree when out in a storm Or maybe you’ve been warned not to hold a fishing rod or golf club during a storm This is because every thunderstorm has lightning Lightning looks for an easy path to the ground This might mean a shorter path like through a tall building Or lightning might find an easy path through a conductor A conductor is a material that allows electricity to flow through it A tree a fishing rod a golf club even water can all be conductors You can be a conductor too Many items can conduct electricity naturally and without human control but engineers scientists and electricians also use conductors in their work Electronic devices electrical wiring and machines we use every day have conductors Whether we notice them or not conductors are all around us 5
