IX. Explain the meaning of the following compound words

Newspaper, schoolboy, thunderstorm, icebreaker, waterfall, fisherman.

X. Retell Volta’s biography Text 2 Electric Current

Vocabulary Notes

to produce создавать, генерировать

subject тема, тематика

newly discovered вновь обнаружившийся

direction направление

statement заявление, утверждение

certainly несомненно

as to в отношении

to flow along течь по

wire эл. провод

consider считать

minute particle мельчайшие частицы

travel двигаться, перемещаться

to carry переносить, передавать

in addition кроме того

solid твердое тело

liquid жидкость

as well а также

gas газ

to meet the requirements отвечать требованиям

to conduct current проводить ток

to find (found) считать, полагать

certain точный, уверенный

wrong way направление противошерстное

long before задолго до

in fact на самом деле, по сути

DC=direct current постоянный ток

for так как; в виду того, что

to push продвигать, проталкивать

i.e.=id est (that is) то есть

terminal клемма; вход\выход

AC = alternating current переменный ток

to stand for обозначать, значить

under consideration рассматриваемый, обсуждаемый

power снабжение энергией

lighting освещение

to assume допускать, предполагать

to go through проходить сквозь, испытывать, подвергаться

ease легкость, простота

voltage эл. напряжение

vice versa наоборот

hence поэтому, следовательно

to operate управлять, эксплуатировать

to find a wide application находить широкое применение

in spite of несмотря на

to require требовать

Ever since Volta first produced a source of steady continuous current, men of science have been forming theories on this subject. For some time they could see no real difference between the newly-discovered phenomenon and the former understanding of static charge. Then the famous French scientist, Ampere (after whom the unit of current was named) determined the difference between the current and the static charges. In addition to it, Ampere gave the current direction: he supposed it to flow from the positive pole of the source round the circuit and back again to the negative pole. We know him to be right in his first statement but he was certainly wrong in the second, as to the direction of current. The flow of current is now known to be in a direction opposite to what he thought. (We shall return to that problem later on.)

Let us turn our attention, now, to the electric current itself. The current which flows along wires consists of moving electrons. In other words, the flow of moving electrons is one form of the electric current. What can we say about the electron? We consider the electron to be a minute particle having an electric charge. We also know that charge to be negative. As these minute charges travel along a wire, that wire is said to carry an electric current.

In addition to traveling through solids, however, the electric current can flow through liquids, as well and even through gases. In both cases it produces some most important effects to meet industrial requirements. Some liquids, such as melted metals for example, conduct current without any change to themselves. Others, called electrolytes, are found to change greatly when the current passes through them.

The reader is certain to remember that a negatively charged electron moves to the positive end of the wire. It had been supposed to move in the wrong way, from the positive end of the circuit to the negative, long before the electrons were discovered. In fact, when a wire is said to be carrying a current from left to right, the electrons in it are really flowing from right to left.

When the electrons flow in one direction only, the current is said to be d.c., that is, direct current. The simplest source of power for direct currents is a battery, for a battery pushes the electrons in the same direction all the time (i.e., from the negatively charged terminal to the positively charged terminal).

The letters a.c. stand for alternating current. The current under consideration is known to flow first in one direction and then in the opposite one. The a.c. used for power and lighting purposes is assumed to go through 50 cycles in one second.

One of the great advantages of a.c. is the ease with which power at low voltage can be changed into an almost similar amount of power at high voltage and vice versa. Hence, on the one hand alternating voltage is increased when it is necessary for long-distance transmission and, on the other hand, one can decrease it to meet industrial requirements as well as to operate various devices at home. In fact, at least 90 per cent of electric energy to be generated at present is a.c. We know it to find a wide application for lighting, heating, industrial and other purposes.

The student may be probably asking himself: “Why is d.c. ever used?” In spite of the fact that almost all electrical power is usually generated and transmitted in the form of a.c., there are numerous cases when d.c. is required. For this reason, it is quite possible to generate a.c. then transform it into d.c.

We cannot help mentioning here that Yablochkov, our Russian scientist and inventor, was the first to apply a.c. in practice.