Electricity

Make Your Own Lightning
 * A part of Energy Quest, Energy Education from the California Energy Commission, this web page gives simple how-to instructions for students to create their own lightning. Supervision with this experiment is advised, as sparks will be created. A link back to the Science Projects page lists other scientific activities students can easily complete.
 * URL: http://www.energyquest.ca.gov

Current Electricity and Electric Circuits
 * The movement of electrons makes electricity. An electric current is a constant flow of electrons through wires or other conductors. These wires are insulated with plastic or rubber so that the electricity stays in. Electricity is made in power plants, mostly from fossil fuels. Other sources of energy, like wind or sunlight, can also make electricity. Electric current is measured in amps. Find out what watts and volts measure. You can conserve electricity by using fewer watts.
 * URL: http://studyjams.scholastic.com

Nikola Tesla (1856)
 * It may surprise you to learn that during the 1890's, inventor Nikola Tesla was better known than Thomas Edison. Tesla left a profound impact on the world by his work in electrical engineering. He was a curious child who was especially intrigued by electricity. His father wanted him to become a priest, but he wanted to study engineering at the Austrian Polytechnic School. Find out more when you visit the Energy Kids web site. You can also view the patent drawing of his Dynamo Electric Machine of 1888, which is only one of his many inventions.
 * URL: http://tonto.eia.doe.gov

Electricity
 * A basic form of energy that uses charged electrons, electricity can be generated and stored. Lightning is a natural source of electricity. Power lines carry manmade electricity over long distances. Investigate how conductors, currents, and circuits work. Discover how power plants are factories that change coal or oil into electricity. Learn about orbiting electrons and electrostatic fields. Find out how electrical meters work and are read. Become familiar with vocabulary related to electricity and electrical circuits.
 * URL: http://www.neok12.com

Hydroelectric Power: How It Works
 * Have you ever wondered how we get electricity from water? Visit this hydroelectric power plant to see how falling water can be used as a power source. An animated diagram explains how the process works. You will find facts about hydroelectric water use, and learn about the world's largest hydroelectric plant. Maps show places in the United States where hydroelectric power is used. There is also a photo of a generator used to produce energy from water.
 * URL: http://ga.water.usgs.gov

Lightning and Static
 * Lightening can be fascinating to watch. But, the lightning you see in the sky is just a small portion of what is really going on during a storm. The simulations presented for you on this site demonstrate two different types of lightning: sheet lightning and fork lightning. Click onto the models to watch the negative and positive charged particles interact with each other to produce lightning. These videos can definitely help you understand the scientific processes of electricity, lightning, and static.
 * URL: http://www.knowitall.org

Lightning Formation
 * In calm weather, positive and negative charges are scattered throughout the sky. In the clouds, ice crystals and hailstones have different charges. Updrafts and downdrafts cause the charges to separate into layers. A negative charge at the bottom of the cloud reacts with the positive charge on the surface of the Earth. The charge rushes to the Earth as a stepped ladder and returns to the cloud as lightning. Find out more about how lightning forms.
 * URL: http://www.windows2universe.org

Tesla - Life and Legacy
 * Born into the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Nikola Tesla grew up on the Balkan Peninsula. He frequented his father's library and was inspired by his mother's mechanical inventions. A young genius, he could solve calculus problems in his head. His father wanted him to be a priest, but Tesla wanted to be an engineer. When he survived cholera, his father let him pursue his dream. He arrived in America with four cents in his pocket, a head full of design ideas, and a letter of introduction to Thomas Edison. Learn about the life and legacy of this extraordinary inventor.
 * URL: http://www.pbs.org

Electricity
 * How different would life be without lights, computers, radios, or televisions? Electricity is responsible for running so many things in our daily lives that it's hard to imagine life without it. You can learn everything from atomic structure to how electricity is measured on this very informative web site. There are pictures to help explain processes such as how electricity is generated using a turbine. When you've learned all about electricity, you can try the links at the top of the page for more fun facts about electricity, games, and activities.
 * URL: http://www.eia.gov

Why Do I Get an Electric Shock?
 * If you have ever wondered why you have been shocked after touching your doorknob or your car door, then you should look at this web site! You can learn here about static electricity, the source of those little unexpected jolts. This article tells you how static electricity happens. You can discover the basic ingredients for static electricity, which include the proton, the electron, and the neutron. Then you can find out what a conductor is, and why scuffing your feet on the carpet will give you a shock when you touch something!
 * URL: http://www.kidshealth.org

Lightning: The Shocking Story
 * This National Geographic Society web site touches many interesting points about lightning. Learn the scientific facts about it, the different forms it can take, how Benjamin Franklin proved its electric nature and find out how frequently different areas in the U.S. are struck. Read eye-witness accounts of people hit and look at dramatic photos of lightning flashes.
 * URL: http://www.nationalgeographic.com

On This Day: Benjamin Franklin Performs Kite Experiment
 * Learn about the day that Benjamin Franklin tied a key to a kite and drew an electric charge from a rain cloud. The details related to this day in history are discussed in an article that also tells you about Franklin's unsuccessful attempts at proving his theories. You will discover that the popular story about Franklin flying a kite in a storm is partially a myth. You will also learn about the mysterious controversy surrounding this event in history. This information is followed by a biography of Benjamin Franklin.
 * URL: http://www.findingdulcinea.com

Lightning and Atmospheric Electricity Research at the GHCC
 * The Global Hydrology and Climate Center (GHCC) Lightning Team have been investigating the causes and effects of lightning as well as analyzing a wide variety of atmospheric measurements related to thunderstorms. At this site, you will have access to data from the Lightning Team's experiments, information about the data, and links to other sources of lightning data. Learn about LIS, OTD, LMS, and other space based lightning detection instruments designed, built, and maintained by the Lightning Team.
 * URL: http://thunder.msfc.nasa.gov