1.

3 – Electrical safety

What do you already know?

Read excerpt from Mrs. M

Why is it safe to JUMP from

the electrical source?
Short Circuits
• a short circuit is an unintended path for electricity
• electric current will always take the shortest path available
• power lines carry thousands of volts
• if a power line is down, electricity will not flow because the
circuit is open

• if you go too close you will close the circuit and the
electricity will flow through you!
 Dangers of Electrical Shock
• both high and low voltages can kill a person but it
depends on the current
• current, which is the energy passing through in a given
time period, is the danger
• too much electricity flowing through a person’s body
can cause the following
• pain
• loss of muscle control
• burns
• damage to the heart
• death
Insulators
• electricity is more dangerous when current can flow easily
• current does not flow as easily through insulators such as wood,
rubber and air
• moist materials tend to conduct better than dry materials
• if the insulator is damaged, shock from a short circuit is possible
 Protection from electricity
• our homes and the devices we use are equipped with safety features to
protect us from electric shocks
• many appliances and devices have three-pronged plugs
• the third prong connects the device to the ground wire of the building
to provide another pathway for electricity just in case of a short circuit
• fuses and circuit breakers interrupt a circuit when too much current flows
through it
• fuses have a wire in them that melts if the current gets too high
• breakers have wire that trips a switch if it heats up too much
• both a blown fuse and a tripped breaker will open the circuit, not
allowing electricity to flow
The Dangers of Lightning
Read the excerpt from Mrs. M and Read Pgs 223 – 226 about
lightening
Answer the questions about lightning in your notes
Class Kahoot
https://create.kahoot.it/share/electrical-safety/54df6e69-065a-43f7-
ab26-fd10515425a8