At-Home Activities

Visit the Web sites of some well-known battery manufactures. Determine how much energy is stored in each of the four sizes of rechargeable dry cells. Then calculate the cost per kilowatt-hour for each size of rechargeable dry cell. Compare this cost to the cost per kilowatt-hour of single-use (disposable) dry cells.

Test the consumer value of two different brands of dry cell. First, fully recharge each dry cell. Using the same electronic device (e.g., a portable CD or cassette player), test each brand separately to see which one stores more energy. (Remember to use only dry cells from a given manufacturer at one time.) Did both brands of dry cell cost the same amount? Which provides the better value?

Visit the Web sites of various battery manufacturers. Observe the tables of data showing the "rated capacity" of dry cells and batteries. Several Web sites show how the information can be used to determine the most appropriate size of dry cell or battery for a given application.

Look around your home for devices that are operated by dry cells and batteries. List the devices that might pose a safety hazard if the batteries become discharged at an inopportune time (e.g., when your family is away from home for an extended period of time). How often are these devices checked? How does your family keep track of the times they are checked?

Identify ten small appliances around your home (or at store) and locate the registration plate. Record the electrical quantities listed on the plate that are related to electrical power. If only two quantities are listed, use the formula you learned about in this lesson to calculate the third quantity in each case.

Discuss the following hypothetical scenario with family members:Because of concerns about the use of fossil and nuclear fuels, the provincial government has announced an energy incentive program to provide a progressive cash rebate to families that reduce their use of electrical energy. If your family uses less than the provincial average per household, based on numbers in the family, the rebate would be increased. The incentive program would pay for the installation of various kinds of devices, such as photoelectric cells, that operate using renewable energy. This would reduce the amount of electrical energy that needs to be generated by non-renewable energy resources.

• Identify which kind of renewable energy source would be most suitable for your area.
• Try to estimate how much of your total energy needs could be provided by renewable energy sources.

Identify possible uses for small, compact fuel cells in and around your home and garage.

Identify all the devices in your home and garage that transform some other form of energy into electrical energy. For each device, list the form of energy that is transformed. Also identify any other form of energy, other than electrical energy, that is produced at the same time.

• Examine a recent electrical energy bill for your home. Identify how much electrical energy, in kilowatt-hours, your family has used in one month. If you could install on your roof the kind of photoelectric solar panels shown in the middle photograph on page 352, approximately how many panels would you require in order to provide all your family's electrical energy needs? (Note: You will need to find out the average number of hours your home receives direct sunlight each day.)
• Improvements to photoelectric panels are being made every day. Use the Internet to research more about the different kinds of photoelectric panels that are being developed.

Use the Internet to research special projects that are underway in various parts of the world to increase electrical energy self-sufficiency. Assess which of these projects might be most useful in the area where you live.

If you know a family member or acquaintance who has an electrical engineering background, interview that person to find out about occupations related to the field.

Discuss the use of fossil fuels or nuclear power with family members. Share your research findings with them and solicit their views on the issue in preparation for writing your position paper.

The Chapter Review (pp. 358-359) in your textbook lists all the Key Expectations you have covered in the chapter and identifies the specific lessons in which the knowledge and skills have been developed.

You can use the Key Expectations list to help you create a personal study guide in preparation for an end-of-chapter test:

1. Copy down the list of learning expectations from your textbook.
2. For each learning expectation, locate the appropriate lesson(s) in the unit where the expectation was covered. These are identified in parentheses at the end of each expectation (e.g., 11.2).
3. Flip to the appropriate lesson(s) for each expectation and make study notes of the key ideas or skills you learned.