Current Electricity

As a young boy I asked many questions.  As you know from previous blogs, my father did not know many of the answers to my questions.  So my curiosity often went unsatisfied.  One of the burning questions in my head was "Why do birds not get electrocuted when they stand and the electricity wires?"  Everyday on the car ride home from school i would see numerous birds perched atop the telephone wires.  The question always came to me.  I couldn't understand why the workers that went up there had to wear all kinds of protective gear to work with the wires, but a bird could just go to sit on the wire.  This week in class I finally got my answer.  Mr. Heyler explained to us that the reason that the birds do not get fried on the wires is because there is no voltage difference.  In order for electricity to flow, there needs to be a difference in voltage and also resistance.  But, if a person were to touch the wire while toching another surface that has a different voltage than the wire the would get electrocuted.  I love physics and how it can be used to solve everyday questions like this one. 

Static Electricity

As a small young boy, I loved to play on the playgrounds at the local district parks or at my elementary school.  During recess, I would always be the first one on the playground structure and the last one to leave.  I remember one time where I got into trouble because i stayed on the structure even after recess had ended.  This all changed on one horrible day when the playground fought back.  My favorite part of the playground was always the slide.  I felt like i was going at 100 mph as I glided down the slick and smooth slide.  Sometimes I would go feet first, and other times, head first.  There was even one time where i took of my shoes and stood up as i went down the slide.  But, back to the story, on that horrible day I got shocked by the slide.  I was playing at recess like any other day and after a few rides down the slide I was shocked.  I didn't understand what really happened on that life-changing day until this past week in physics.  Mr. Heyler explained that when 2 objects rub together then they transfer electrons to one another.  This is what happened when i slid down the slide.  When i touched the slide again the electrons flowed back and shocked me.  It is good that i understand this now, but i still don't think i'll be on any slides anytime soon.