What’s the difference between a breakdown and a power cut?
Not waste anything
Here’s what happens when Ankita’s Ganesh-whom she calls a walking encyclopedia –comes to stay!
``Ankita, switch off the light please!’’
Oops – Ganesh had come to stay! She’s strict but she’s fun. And guess what she’s strictest about? Not wasting anything.
Every morsel of food on your plate must be eaten.
Every tap properly closed.
Every light and fan switched off when you leave a room. Waste no, want is her motto.
Every visit she starts a project. The topic is pinned to kitchen door. Its fun –we learn a lot. This time it was project energy.
Her first question was, ``what would happen if there was no electricity-say a power cut or a break down for 10 hours? - How would you suffer? Let’s make a list what things would not work?’’ - Asked Monica, ``what’s the difference between a breakdown and a power cut?’’
``Well’’, said Ganesh, ``a breakdown is a failure or fault which has to be repaired’’.
Like when a car breaks down? -Asked Monica. A power cut is when the electricity department purposely shuts down the power to save electricity.
``What do we use to cook with? Asked Ganesh ``Wood, coal, oil, gas’’ said Avanti. ``Exactly’’, said Ganesh. ``they are all fuels. All fuels change as they burn- e.g. coal becomes ash- and as they burn they give off energy. Some of this energy is given off as heat and some as light. For example when wood buns we can cook food on it and we can see in the dark with it. The same thing happens with kerosene.’’
When petrol is burned in a car engine some of the heat energy pushes the car forward.
``What helps us to run?’’ asked Ankita.
``Energy,’’ said Ganesh. ``The car gets energy from the petrol in its tank. You get energy from the food you eat- but you body has to digest the food to give you the energy to walk and run and jump. Did you know that all energy comes from the sun! All plants and animals store up energy from the sun as they live and grow. When you eat those plants or animals, you get energy.’’
``Ganesh, Monica’s feelings sleepy.’’
``We have also learnt about biogas and solar energy,’’ said Misha. They are cheap and smokeless-so no pollution!’’
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