С. О. Макеева кандидат педагогических наук, доцент Уральской государтвенной юридической академии

Electricity and magnetism

Electromagnetism is everywhere. It is a field that exists throughout space. When particles are electrically charged, the electromagnetic field exerts a force on them. These particles then move and exert a force on the electromagnetic field. By generating these fields when and where we want them and by controlling these forces we have electricity. This gives us the power we use in the modern world. All our TVs, phones, street lights and cars depend on electromagnetism.

So what is electromagnetism? Actually, it is two things, but they are so closely connected that it is convenient for us to think of them as one, as two sides of the same coin. There are two types of field: electric and magnetic. Electrically-charged particles result in an electric field, static electricity. When there is a conductor, a material which will allow electric field to pass through it, then we can create an electric current. In our homes, the conductors arc the wires that run through our house to the light bulbs or the TV. A magnetic field results from the motion of an electric current and is used to generate the electricity we use.

In the 19th century, James Clerk Maxwell, the Scottish physicist, produced the equations that proved the two forces acted as one. One effect of this was for physicists all over the world to hurry back to their libraries and laboratories to rewrite the theories on the motion of objects. Maxwell’s equations showed that what physicists had believed for centuries was in fact not correct. It was not until Einstein, in the 20th century, that the theory of motion was put right — at least for now.

How do we know the two things are one? Well, sailors had known for centuries that lightning affected the magnetic compasses on their ships. No one, however, made the connection between lightning and electricity until Benjamin Franklin, the American politician and scientist, flew a kite in a thunderstorm to attract the lightning. In other parts of the world, physicists were experimenting with magnets and electricity. Most passed a current across a magnetic needle and watched it move. The Frenchman, Andre Marie Ampere eventually applied mathematics to electromagnetism. It is from his work that we have our modern understanding of electromagnetism.

One piece of the jigsaw remained. No one had discovered a way of generating electricity. True, there were batteries, Alessandro Volta invented the Voltaic pile in 1800, but it was of limited use. Certainly no battery could provide enough electrical power to operate a machine. For that the world would have to wait for Michael Faraday to find a way of creating an electrical current, when and where it was needed.

Exercise 3. Read the text and choose the correct answer.

1. We can make electricity by

A) exerting a force

B) creating electromagnetic fields

C) charging particles

D) moving particles.

2. Electrical and magnetic fields

A) are opposites.

B) are two very different things

C) are very closely related

D) need a conductor.

3. Maxwell’s equations

A) corrected the theory of motion

B) caused scientists to rethink

C) rewrote older theories

D) have completely ensured the theory of motion now.

4. Our modern knowledge of electromagnetism comes from

C) Benjamin Franklin.

D) experiments with magnets.

5. The electric battery

A) could operate a machine

B) could create an electric current

C) was invented by Faraday

D) was invented in 1800.

Exercise 4. Discuss these questions with your partner: 1. Can you think of some different ways of generating electricity? 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

Exercise 5. Read the extract from a lecture on generating electricity and complete the table:

Ways of generating electricity

What I’m going to talk about today is how electricity is generated for use in our homes and factories. There are three main ways that we can make electricity, as well as some newly developing technologies that I believe we will come to rely on in the future. They all have one thing in common. That is, they use fuel to turn a turbine, a large wheel. The three most common means of power generation are firstly, by burning fuel to make steam, which turns the turbine. Another way is to use a nuclear reaction to heat the water to make steam. And a third is to use the force of moving water to turn the turbine — hydroelectricity All have advantages and disadvantages. Burning is cheap and the fuel, usually coal, is easily available. However, burning does cause pollution. Nuclear energy is the cheapest way to make electricity, once the costs of building the nuclear power station are taken away. ‘The waste, however, stays radioactive for a very long time, so we have the problem of storage. Hydroelectricity is the cleanest way to generate power — there is no pollution. But, not everywhere has fast-running rivers, and creating an artificial lake is very expensive and often means moving people away from their homes. Other, newer ways of generating electricity, for example the use of wind power, do not pollute the atmosphere but they also do not yet produce enough electricity for the needs of a modern city. Of course, improvements in technology are happening all the time. What I’d like to discuss now is .

Exercise 6. Match these words with their definitions:

1) loop; 2) device; 3) rotate;

a) machine; b) revolve; c)go round.

Exercise 7. Match the words to make phrases:

a) carry out; b) build; c) generate;

1) electricity; 2) experiments; 3) a device.

Exercise 8. Match the adjectives to the nouns:

Exercise 9. Use the words in the box to complete the sentences:

conductor expand convenient catalyst repetition

1. Metal is an example of a good ____ — something through which electricity can pass.

2. When writing an essay, try to avoid ____ of vocabulary.

3. The bus stop is right outside our front gate; that’s very ___.

4. Materials such as metal, when they are heated, they ___.

5. A ____ is a substance that increases the speed of chemical reactions.

Exercise 10. The words in bold are in the wrong sentences. Put each word into the correct sentence:

1. To rotate power you need to be able to control electricity.

2. A device is produced as the secondary result of a process.

3. A mathematical statement showing two expressions are equal is a(n) by-product .

4. Electricity passes around buildings through dark matter .

5. Light is not absorbed or emitted by wires .

6. Compressed means having height, width and depth.

7. To generate means to turn around on an axis.

8. A(n) equation is a series of events.

9. The material was three-dimensional as it had been pushed tightly together.

10. This is the sequence we are going to use to carry out the experiment.

Exercise 11. Translate the sentences into English:

1. Электромагнитное поле существует повсюду в пространстве.

2. Электромагнитное поле оказывает воздействие на заряженные частицы.

3. Электромагнитное поле используется для получения электричества, от которого зависит работа бытовых приборов.

4. Известно, что Андре Мари Ампер был первым ученым, который применил математику к электромагнетизму.

5. Электрические батареи, изобретенные Алессандро Вольта, использовались ограниченно и не могли вырабатывать достаточно электрической энергии для работы машин.

6. Открытие электромагнетизма позволило ученым создать такие утройства, как телевизоры, телефоны, электродвигатели.

7. Уравнения максвелла показали, сто то, во что физики верили веками, оказалось неверным.

Exercise 12. Give a lecture to the audience about electricity and magnetism.

Отталкиваясь от текста, мы можем успешно осуществить любой этап формирования лексического навыка: введение, тренировку и заключение. Особенно важен текст на последнем этапе, так как именно в обсуждении проблем, затронутых в тексте, студенты активизируют новые лексические единицы.

1. Настольная книга преподавателя иностранного языка: Справ. пособие / Е. А. Маслыко, П. К. Бабинская, А. Ф. Будько [и др]. Минск.: Выш. шк., 1997. 522 с.

2. Macmillan Guide to Science: Student’s book / Elena Kozharskaya, Kevin McNicholas and others. Oxford: Macmillan Education, 2008, 128 p.

© Безбородова С.А., 2011

ЭТИ СТРАННЫЕ ИНОСТРАННЫЕ

КЛЮЧЕВЫЕ СЛОВА: лингвистическая компетентность, англицизмы, латинские сентенции, словарные игры.

АННОТАЦИЯ: статья посвящена практическому использованию иностранных слов в речи студентов. Автор делится опытом проведения интеллектуальной игры

THESE STRANGE “STRANGERS ”

(The Intellectual Game)

KEY WORDS : the linguistic competence, anglicisms, Latin maxims, word games.

ABSTRACT: the article is devoted to the practical using of foreign words in students’ speech. The author shares her experience in the intellectual game.

«Люди стали жить богаче,

Но беднее стала речь»

Одним из требований к современному конкурентоспособному специалисту является гуманитарная, лингвистическая компетентность. Умение владеть словом, большой словарный запас, хорошее понимание и знание иностранных слов необходимо специалисту в любой сфере.

Люди сейчас сетуют: речь перенасыщена англицизмами. Действительно, роль английского языка, как международного повышается, и в нашей стране, особенно это заметно в мегаполисах, все чаще говорят на смеси русского и английского языков.

Значение многих иностранных слов (например: локальный, тотальный, толерантность, гаджетомания, чир-лидинг, креатив и др.) рассматривается в игре по принципу телеигры «Алфавит». Студентам нравятся словарные игры, где они могут показать свою компетентность, которая, как правило, имеется у людей читающих, пополняющих свой словарный запас из различных СМИ.

Некоторые преподаватели считают, что следует избегать употребления в речи заимствованных из других языков слов, как вредным для русского языка фактом. Такую точку зрения принять и согласиться с ней нельзя, т.к. заимствование слов – естественный и закономерный процесс. Об этом хорошо сказал К.И. Чуковский: «Только простакам и невеждам можно навязывать мысль, будто русский язык терпит хоть малейший ущерб от того, что наряду со словом «вселенная» в нем существует «космос», наряду с «предположением» – «гипотеза», наряду со «спором» – «диспут», наряду с «указателем цен» – «прейскурант», наряду с «языковедом» – «лингвист».

Нужно быть беспросветным ханжой, чтобы требовать изгнания подобных синонимов, которые обогащают наш язык, тем более, что у этих синонимов, как бывает почти постоянно, очень разные смысловые оттенки».

Данная игра рассчитана на студентов I – IV курсов техникума.

«Эти странные иностранные»

Цель игры: формирование гуманитарной лингвистической компетенции, развитие языковой интуиции, повышение мотивации к изучению языков; выявление эрудитов.

Условия игры: Участвуют две команды по 5 человек. У каждой команды игровое поле с 28 фишками по периметру. Если на вопрос дан правильный ответ, то черная фишка переворачивается светлой стороной вверх (Ученье – свет, а неученье – тьма). Таким образом, выигрывает та команда, у которой на игровом поле к концу игры будет больше белых фишек, а значит больше знаний. Эрудиты получают грамоты и призы. Игра состоит из пяти туров.

Ход игры: На доске читается эпиграф: «Чем большим количеством слов я обладаю, тем большее значение я имею для других, тем обширнее объем моих воздействий, моего влияния» Л. Фейербах.

«Veni, vidi, vici» J. Ceasar.

Представление команд. Объяснение условий игры. В случае затруднений команде помогает группа поддержки. Команды дают ответы по очереди.

Мы обычно называем друг друга по имени в уменьшительной форме: Ивана – Ваней, Екатерину – Катей, Александра – Сашей. А как зовут англичан, американцев? Вам предстоит дать полное имя следующим людям. Допустим, Вы (обращаясь к студенту):

The 7 Basic Sources of Electricity You Should Know About

How do we produce electricity?

The sheer thought of a world without electricity seems impossible. It is one of the greatest gifts that science has given to humanity. Almost everything in our world today depends on electrical power.

And electrical dependence is only expected to grow over time. Estimates show that in 2018, the global electricity demand grew to 23,000 TWh, and this number is likely to increase with each passing year. This skyrocketing demand is responsible for half of the growth in energy needs and takes a 20% share in the total energy consumption globally.

These statistics clearly show that electricity is the generator of the future. That said, what are the ways through which we can generate such a staggering amount of electricity to meet the ever-increasing demands? Let us find out!

Electricity defined

Electricity can be defined as a form of energy that is produced as a result of the flow of electrons from positive and negative points within a conductor. We consider electricity as a secondary energy source.

This is because it doesn’t come as a ready-made product, but it needs to be generated through primary sources such as wind, sunlight, coal, natural gas, nuclear fission reactions, and hydropower.

Here are some fundamental ways through which we can generate electricity and how it can be done!

1. Electricity by rubbing

The first observations about electrical phenomena were made in ancient Greece. This happened when the philosopher Thales of Miletus (640-546 BC) found that when amber bars are rubbed against tanned skin, they produce attractive characteristics that they did not previously possess.

It is the same experiment that can now be done by rubbing a plastic bar with a cloth. By bringing it closer to small pieces of paper, it attracts them, as is characteristic of electrified bodies.

We are all familiar with the effects of static electricity. Some people are more susceptible than others to the influence of static electricity. Certain car users feel its effects when using a key or touching the car’s plate.

We create static electricity when we rub a pen with our clothes. The same happens when we rub a piece of glass with silk or amber with wool.

Therefore, the concepts of charge and mobility are essential in the study of electricity, and without them, the electric current could not exist.

2. Electricity by chemical action

All batteries consist of an electrolyte (which can be liquid, solid, or semi-solid), a positive electrode, and a negative electrode. An electrolyte is an ionic conductor.

One of the electrodes produces electrons, and the other electrode receives them. When the electrodes are connected to the circuit to be fed, they produce an electric current.

The batteries in which the chemical cannot return to its original form once the chemical energy has been transformed into electrical energy are called primary or voltaic batteries.

The secondary batteries or accumulators are reversible. In these types of batteries, the chemical that reacts in the electrodes to produce electrical energy can be reconstituted by passing an electric current through it in the opposite direction to the normal operation of the battery.

3. Electricity by the action of light

As sunlight becomes more intense, the voltage generated between the two layers of photovoltaic cell increases. But how does a photovoltaic cell work?

In the absence of light, the system does not generate energy. When sunlight hits the plate, the cell begins to function. The photons of sunlight interact with the available electrons and increase their energy levels.

In this manner, electricity is generated through solar energy.

4. Thermal electricity by heat action

A thermal generation plant is a type of plant where a turbine that is powered by steam under pressure is used to move the axis of electric generators. Conventional thermal power plants and nuclear thermal power plants use the energy contained in pressurized steam.

The simplest example is to connect a kettle full of boiling water to a paddle wheel, which, in turn, is linked to a generator. The steam jet from the kettle moves the rotor.

Hence, we can get steam in many ways, such as by burning coal, oil, gas, urban waste, or taking advantage of a large amount of heat generated by nuclear fission reactions. You can even produce steam by concentrating the sun’s energy.

It would not be wrong to say that thermal energy is one of the most common ways of generating electricity.

5. Electricity by magnetism

In 1819, Hans Christian Oersted , a Danish physicist, made an extraordinary discovery by observing that you could deflect a magnetic needle by an electric current. This discovery, which showed a connection between electricity and magnetism, was developed by the French scientist André Marie Ampère.

Ampère studied the forces between wires through which electric currents circulate. In the same vein, the French physicist Dominique François Arago is known to have magnetized iron by placing it near a cable running with current.

Thereafter, in 1831, the British scientist Michael Faraday discovered that the movement of a magnet in the vicinity of a cable induces an electric current in it. This effect was the opposite of that found by Oersted.

Thus, Oersted demonstrated that an electric current could create a magnetic field. On the other hand, Faraday demonstrated that we could use a magnetic field to create an electric current. Both discoveries are ground-breaking.

In this context, the complete blend of the theories of magnetism and electricity happened thanks to the British physicist James Clerk Maxwell . Maxwell predicted the existence of electromagnetic waves and identified light as an electromagnetic phenomenon.

As is evident, it took a lot of scientists and researchers to deduce that electricity can also be generated through magnetism.

6. Electricity generated by pressure

The pressure exerted by underground water currents is the process used in large ships as alternative energy to the main system. In dams, electricity is generated by releasing a controlled flow of high-pressure water through a forced conduit.

The water drives turbines that move the generators and, thus, produce an electric current. This high low-voltage current then passes through a voltage booster that transforms it into electricity.

7. Hydraulic electricity by water action

Of all the ways used to generate energy listed above, magnetic energy is most commonly used to produce electricity in large quantities. Its production is based on the fact that when moving a conductor in the presence of a magnet, an orderly movement of electrons occurs in the conductor.

This happens as a consequence of the attractive forces and repulsion caused by the magnetic field. The operation of alternators, motors, and dynamos is based on this form of electricity production.

It is noteworthy that hydroelectricity generates around 9% of the electricity in the US. Moreover, it is renewable and can be produced with very few emissions.

The production of electricity has a rich history and an even brighter future. According to predictions made by the Institute of Energy Research, fossil fuels will continue to maintain their status as the leading source of electricity production in the US until 2040.