When an electron is forced away from its atom, the movement of the electron generates an electrical current we call electricity.

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2 Electricity is a form of energy that begins with atoms. Atoms are the building blocks of everything around us, but they are very tiny particles and no one can see them. In fact, you can t even see them with the most powerful microscopes on Earth! At the center of an atom, you have the nucleus. The nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons. Orbiting outside of the nucleus you have electrons. Protons have a positive electrical charge, electrons have a negative electrical charge, and neutrons have no charge. When an electron is forced away from its atom, the movement of the electron generates an electrical current we call electricity. To generate enough electricity to provide power to everyone in our service area, South Carolina Electric and Gas (SCE&G) has 22 power plants located throughout South Carolina. Most of these power plants rely on steam to turn turbines which start the power generating process. The spinning turbines turn electromagnets that are surrounded by heavy coils of copper wire inside a generator. As the electromagnets spin, a magnetic field is created. This magnetic field causes the electrons in the copper wire to jump from one copper atom to another. This movement of electrons generates an electrical current which is then sent out to our power grid where customers like you can use it to power your homes. Now that you know how SCE&G generates electricity, see if you can find all the words highlighted in RED in the word search below. N T O E I S I S M E L C A F C U I Q F E E A D G Y P W S U G C A R N S Q D T J A E E R M I L I E E C I M T R K M R T V B E I U C Z T E T O I E Z R E D U I Z E W K I P C N U W L J R S T O V S C R R T F O E T S P P L L G L S O E L E C T R O M A G N E T S C Y E T N E U T R O N S E C R L P R O T O N S K Q D A O E A C O P P E R D G I X M P F G E N E R A T O R I N M E M E K S F H P G G A T O M S 1.

3 When the electricity traveling on the transmission lines begins to get closer to your home, the voltage must then be stepped down again so it is safe to use. This is done by a different set of transformers in substations along its route. Once the voltage is stepped down to a lower level, the electricity travels the rest of the way to your house on distribution lines. Once SCE&G s power plants generate electricity, it s stepped up to a higher voltage by transformers in a substation. We do this to help the electricity make it all the way to your house without slowing down or losing too much energy. Think of voltage as the pressure of the electric current. In much the same way a pump builds up the pressure of water in a hose, transformers build up (or step-up) the voltage of electricity. The last transformer electricity travels through is usually right outside your home. It looks like a green box on the ground or a grey cylinder up on a utility pole. This transformer makes sure the electricity is at the correct voltage for the appliances in your home. The electricity flows from the transformer outside, through a service line to your electrical meter. Finally the electricity goes to your home s circuit breaker and then through the electrical wiring where it is ready to provide power to any appliance that needs it. Here s a drawing of the journey electricity takes to get to your home. Can you label all the items with their correct name? Use the article above for clues. A. Power Plant Substation or B. Transformer C. Transmission Line F. Service Line D. Substation or Transformer E. Distribution Line 2.

4 Most of SCE&G s power plants superheat water in a boiler to make steam. The only difference between plants is the heat source to boil the water. Some of our plants don t use steam at all! Check out our four main types of power plants below, and see which ones use steam to help generate electricity and which ones don t. Fossil Fuel In SCE&G s fossil fuel plants, one of the three most common fossil fuels (coal, natural gas or oil) is burned to make water boil which creates the steam used to turn the turbines. Cope Fossil Nuclear Power Nuclear power plants make their steam from the heat generated by splitting uranium atoms in a nuclear reactor. V.C. Summer Nuclear Saluda Hydro Hydroelectric Hydroelectric power plants use flowing water to turn the turbines. The flow of water is controlled by a dam. Maybe you ve driven across our dam at Lake Murray in Columbia. Hydroelectric power plants are used for short periods when electric demand is high. If we used them all the time, we d drain the entire lake! Internal Combustion Turbine Internal combustion turbine power plants use a technology similar to the way jet engines work. They use the combustion of natural gas, combined with compressed air, to turn the turbines. Urquhart Gas Generators DID YOU KNOW? SCE&G s power plants don t create energy because that s impossible! Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Instead our plants turn one form of energy into another. 3.

5 ...all you need is a closed circuit The path that electricity travels is called a circuit. Electricity cannot flow without a power supply and a closed circuit to travel around. You can see an electrical circuit at work. All you need is a battery, some wire and a light bulb. When you connect the positive (+) and negative (-) ends of the battery with the wire, you are giving the negatively charged electrons in the battery a path to get to the positively charged side. As they move along, they are happy to use their energy to light the bulb. This is a simple example of a circuit, but all electrical appliances work the same way. Whether the power source is a battery or an SCE&G power plant, appliances use the energy of traveling electrons along a circuit to work. Which of these are closed circuits? If the circuit is closed, meaning the light bulb will light up, draw some light rays coming out of the bulb. If the circuit is open, meaning the light bulb will not light up, draw an X through the bulb, and explain why it won t light. Think about it: SCE&G s power plants are the power supply for a giant circuit. The power lines that run out of our plants have to make a huge loop that goes all the way around our service territory and then back to the power plant. Otherwise the circuit would not be closed and the electricity couldn t flow. needs connecting wire on other side of battery Yes can t connect to same side of battery DID YOU KNOW? Electricity cannot be easily stored, so SCE&G is constantly adjusting how much electricity we generate to make sure we never have too much or too little. Yes batteries not in right position wire needs to connect to bulb 4.

6 Materials that allow electricity to flow through them are called conductors. Materials that do NOT allow electricity to flow through them are called insulators. What do you think? Which materials below are conductors and which are insulators? Conductor Conductor Insulator Conductor Insulator Conductor Conductor Try this simple experiment. Make an open circuit like the one shown below and test the objects above to see if they will close the circuit (because they are conductors) and make the light bulb light up. If they don t make the light bulb light up, they are insulators. Caution: Never use anything bigger than a D size battery for these experiments. The voltage in batteries this small is not enough to hurt you. FAST FACT: Your body is made up of more than 70% water, and since water is an excellent conductor, that means you are an excellent conductor too! That s why you always have to be safe around electricity. 5.

7 Have you ever walked across the carpet in socks and then touched a metal object? ZAP! What you felt is a jolt of static electricity. When you shuffle your feet along the carpet, electrons jump from the carpet to your feet, and this gives your body a negative static charge. So when you touch something metal, or any other conductor (sometimes it s even another person), those extra electrons jump from your body to the other object ouch! What about when you take off a wool hat or sweater and suddenly your hair is standing straight up! Yep, that s static electricity, too. Except this time instead of gaining electrons, your hair is losing electrons to the hat. Since all of your individual hairs now have a positive static charge, they repel each other and stand up. What to do: 1. Try this simple experiment: Make cereal dance! What you need: a balloon string small pieces of dry, o-shaped cereal Tie a piece of the cereal to one end of a 12-inch piece of string. Have a friend hold the string so the cereal hangs down. (You can tape the string to the edge of a table if you can t find someone to hold it for you.) 2. Give the balloon a static charge by rubbing it on your hair or on a wool sweater. 3. Slowly bring the balloon toward the cereal. And watch the cereal float over and touch the balloon. Hold the balloon still until the cereal jumps away by itself. 4. Now try to touch the balloon to the cereal again. It will move away as the balloon gets close. What Happened: Rubbing the balloon in your hair moved electrons from your hair to the balloon. This gave the balloon a negative static charge, so the neutral cereal was attracted to it. When they actually touched, electrons from the balloon moved to the cereal until they had the same negative charge. So when you tried to attract the cereal again it was repelled. 6.

8 Help make this a Safety City. The people in t forgotten about being safe around electricity. It s your job to re Take the number of the safety message on the right and put it in describes. Once you match up all the safety messages, use crayo 7.

9 1. Installing an antenna or satellite dish on a roof can be a disaster if you touch an overhead power line or the service line running to your house. If you re using a ladder to get on the roof, make sure it stays far away from the power lines This backhoe operator may find something he was not looking for if he hits an underground power line or gas line. Always call 811 before digging so your underground lines can be marked. It s a free service, and it will keep you safe Bathrooms can be dangerous because WATER AND ELECTRICITY DON T MIX. Don t operate electrical appliances such as hair dryers and curling irons when you are wet, in the shower or in the tub Kite strings, metallic balloons and high powered squirt guns can cause an electric shock or even death if they come in contact with power lines. Always use flying toys in open areas that are free of overhead power lines. Birds can sit on power lines because they don t touch the ground. 5. Do not dangle cords or overload sockets. And if something gets stuck in a toaster, unplug it before trying to get it out. 6. Substations are very dangerous places. That s why they have fences around them. Never climb over a substation fence. If a toy or pet goes over the fence, call SCE&G, and we ll get it for you. Always obey the warning signs around electrical equipment. 7. Lawn mowers, hedge trimmers and other electric lawn care equipment are dangerous to operate if the lawn is wet or the sprinklers are running. Also take extra care not to cut or mow over extension cords Any contact with a power line is dangerous. This crane operator needs to keep his equipment away from the overhead power lines. LOOK UP AND LIVE! 9. When cleaning a pool, watch out for overhead power lines. Wood and aluminum tools can become conductors under the right conditions. Remember, water and electricity don t mix. 10. Beware of trees and shrubbery with power lines running through them. Never climb them, and make sure adults never trim them SCE&G will do that. The tree s branches can become energized, especially if they re wet. And trimming tools or ladders may accidently come in contact with the power lines. 11. Remember electricity is always looking for the easiest path to the ground, and if you re not careful around power lines, that path to ground may be you! Never climb on, or attach anything to, a utility pole. he picture above have mind them how to be safe! the red box next to the scene it ns or markers to color in the picture. 12. Car accidents can create electrical hazards when utility poles are hit and power lines fall. If you must get out of the car in this situation, always jump out without touching the car and land with both feet together on the ground at the same time. And then shuffle or hop away. Never touch the car, downed power lines or guard railings; they may be energized. 8.

10 Most of the time, the easiest and safest way to put out a fire is by throwing water on it. But watch out! If it s an electrical fire, using water could cause you to get an electrical shock, and it may even kill you. Here s what you should do if there s ever an electrical fire. 1. Call 911 first! If it s safe, unplug the appliance that s causing the fire. If it s not safe, turn off the power at the circuit breaker. Use a class-c or multi-purpose ABC fire extinguisher to put out the flames. If you don t have a class-c or multi-purpose ABC fire extinguisher and the fire is small enough, throw sodium bicarbonate (a.k.a. baking soda) on the fire to put it out. If the fire is too big, or is starting to spread, get everyone out of the house immediately, and wait for help to arrive. When you get home: Create or review your family s fire safety plan. It should include an escape route from every room in the house and a place to meet once everyone is out of the house. Also, find out what type of fire extinguisher you have and where it is located. Finally, test all of your home s smoke alarms to make sure they are working properly. Although electricity is usually very safe, if it is misused, it can start a fire. Here s why: Sometimes electricity is supposed to make things hot like a toaster, an iron or an electric space heater. But if those hot things get too close to a flammable material like curtains or other fabrics, they can start a fire. Plugging too many appliances into one outlet or extension cord can cause it to get so hot that the insulation on the wires will melt, and that can cause a fire. Using appliances with old worn out cords or extension cords that are damaged or frayed can cause the cords to spark and catch fire. 9.

11 If there is an electrical accident, your first reaction may be to rush over to help. But sometimes, the best way to keep yourself and others safe is to stay away and call 911. Remember our bodies are excellent conductors of electricity, and if you touch someone who is being electrocuted, the electricity will jump over and electrocute you, too. So here s how to stay safe If the electrical accident happens inside a house, turn off the circuit breaker. Call 911 immediately and tell them there has been an electrical accident. Always assume electrical wires and power lines are still energized, so if the victim is touching wires, stay away and wait for help to arrive. If the victim is no longer near the electrical source, and you are sure there is no danger, keep the victim warm and lying down until help arrives. If they aren t breathing, give mouth to mouth resuscitation or CPR. Don t touch any burns or blisters on the victim, and don t remove any burned clothing. Make sure the victim sees a doctor. Electricity can also cause burns inside the body, so you may not be able to see them. When you get home: Have an adult show you how to turn off your home s power at the circuit breaker. This is the fastest and safest way to turn off power to your whole house. DID YOU KNOW? Getting an electrical shock makes your muscles contract, which means a person may not be able to let go of the thing that is shocking them! 10.

12 Would you believe it if we told you natural gas is left over from the remains of dinosaurs and plants that lived ages ago? Well it s true! When dinosaurs died, their bodies were eventually buried under many layers of rock and dirt. The extreme pressure and heat created by these layers eventually turned the dinosaur and plant remains into natural gas as well as petroleum (or oil). That s why we call natural gas and oil fossil fuels. Gas Well Transmission Distribution Your Home To get to the natural gas, which is now buried thousands of feet below ground, big gas wells drill down and pump the natural gas back to the surface. Once the natural gas is pumped out, it is put on a transmission and distribution network just like electricity. But instead of using power lines, we use pipelines to transport the natural gas. Once the gas makes it to your house, it goes through a meter and through pipes in your house where it is ready to be used by natural gas appliances like a stove, water heater, fireplace logs and a furnace. Scramble-a-saurus The Scramble-a-saurus has been messing with our natural gas vocabulary list. Can you unscramble these words? Use the clues to help. T R E P M U O L E Another name for oil. Petroleum I E P P N I L S E These are used to transport natural gas. _ Pipelines L O F S I S Natural gas is this type of fuel. Fossil L C R T E E I Y T C I Sometimes natural gas is burned to make this. Electricity O S D N I U R S A Natural gas is what s left over from my remains. Dinosaurs DID YOU KNOW? Natural gas is colorless and odorless, so SCE&G adds a chemical called mercaptan, which smells like rotten eggs, so you can tell if there is a dangerous natural gas leak. P F R E I E C L A You can burn natural gas in this instead of wood for a cozy fire. Fireplace P L P S C A N E A I A stove, water heater, and a furnace are all examples of what? Appliances 11.

13 SCE&G has a network of more than 22,000 miles of natural gas pipelines throughout our South Carolina service area. Although this network is extremely safe and well maintained, occasionally someone will dig into one of our lines and break it. When a pipeline is broken or leaking, the escaping natural gas smells like rotten eggs. If you are ever in your house, or playing outside, and suddenly smell that stinky smell, get out of the area immediately. Then have an adult call SCE&G to report a possible natural gas leak. In the puzzle below, it looks like someone forgot to call 811 before they dug, and they ended up digging in to some of SCE&G s natural gas lines. Your job is to help them fix the leaks! To do this, draw a line from the start of the natural gas fact on the left to the end of the fact on the right side. By connecting the two broken pipes, you will have fixed the leak and saved the day! Natural gas is a. ages ago. A natural gas stove has an open flame that smells like rotten eggs, to help make gas leaks easy to notice. Natural gas was formed deep under the earth so always keep flammable objects away from the stove. Natural gas can provide energy for.fossil fuel. Natural gas is colorless and odorless, but SCE&G adds a chemical stoves, furnaces, water heaters, dryers, space heaters, gas grills, cars and more! FAST FACT: Many professional football teams use underground tubes heated with natural gas to keep their fields from freezing in the winter. It keeps them so warm that the grass will grow all year long! 12.

14 1 S 2 N 3 I N S U L A T O R 4 T P U B S U 5 S O T T R A N S F O R M E R H W W A T E R A O E T 8E L E C T R I C I T Y G K L O A I N 9 B I R D S N E 10 S O C K E T 6 7 Across 3. I can slow down or stop electricity s flow. I m not a conductor, just so you know. 6. I m usually green, but I m not a tree. So whatever you do, don t climb or play on me. 7. Your body is made up of more than 70% of me, which makes you a great conductor of electricity. 8. I m always looking for the easiest path to the ground, and when I take the form of lightning you don t want to be around. 9. These flying creatures can often be found, sitting unshocked on power lines because they aren t touching ground. 10. Never overload me or use a plug with a frayed wire because we both have the potential to start a house fire. Down 1. My signs say high voltage, danger, and keep out, so if a toy or a pet goes over my fence, give SCE&G a shout. 2. I burn with a bright blue flame, and if I leak, rotten eggs and I smell the same. (2 words) 4. If you re about to fly a kite or climb a tree, make sure you look around and don t see me. (2 words) 5. An electrical one of these can hurt a lot, and it could be the result of a safety rule you forgot. 13.

15 Courtney and Nick really saved the day when they stopped Ms. Hampton from digging around the green transformer in her yard to plant flowers. Luckily, they were there to warn her that you should never mess with, or play around, a transformer because they can give you a nasty shock or even kill you! After the kids left, Ms. Hampton went back outside and planted the flowers by her front porch instead. But she also planted a light bulb why did goofy Ms. Hampton do that? To find out the answer, solve the circle code below. Just write down EVERY OTHER letter as you go clockwise around the circle. Start with the letter S at the top. Once you go around the circle twice, the letters will spell out the answer! We gave you the last letter for free. A O L T P D G R N Start at the S E R s o H E T w N W Then go around the circle as shown. o E A A W P S h e w a n t e d t o g r o w a p o w e r p l a n t Answer: 14.

16 Be safe around electricity and natural gas. For solutions to all the puzzles in this book, and for other great resources, visit sceg.com/kids mc_sceg10t /10