Electricity and Water
Print this page and try the experiment. Click on the Back button to go back to Electrical Safety World.
Ask an adult to help you with this experiment.
Teamwork
Do you think the bulb in this circuit
will light? Discuss it first, then set up the circuit. Put plenty of salt
in the water. Then add another battery or two and see what happens.
Write your observations here:
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In this experiment, we added salt to the water to make the bulb light. When a source of electricity has higher voltage than your D-cell batteries, the electricity will travel through water with or without salt in it. So, if lightning struck a lake, or a blow dryer fell in the sink, electricity would travel through the water. Anyone touching that water could be electrocuted. (Electrocution means fatal contact with electricity.)
Going
Further
Create a television spot or radio announcement that warns people about
electrical hazards during storms and floods. You may target your announcement
at children or adults. If it goes on the air, contact your local utility
first to be sure