Power line facts for kids

Power lines are like super-highways for electricity! They are special wires that carry electric power from where it's made (like a power plant) to homes, schools, and businesses. Imagine them as giant cables that help light up our world and power our devices.

A power line running across facilities.

What Are Power Lines?

Power lines are wires that conduct electricity from one place to another. They are usually made of strong metals like aluminum. These wires are designed to carry electricity safely over long distances. You often see them held up high on tall poles or towers. Some power lines are also buried underground.

How Electricity Travels Through Power Lines

Electricity begins its journey at a power plant. Here, giant machines called generators create the electric power. This power then needs to travel to many different places.

The Role of Transformers

As electricity leaves the power plant, its voltage (which is like the "pressure" of electricity) is very high. This high voltage helps the electricity travel long distances without losing too much energy.

• Stepping Up: Sometimes, the electricity needs an extra boost to go even further. It passes through a special device called a "step-up transformer". This transformer increases the voltage even more. This process is called "stepping up".
• Stepping Down: When the electricity gets close to buildings, its voltage is still too high to be used safely. It then goes through another type of transformer, a "step-down transformer". This transformer lowers the voltage to a safe level for homes and businesses. This process is called "stepping down".

After being "stepped down," the electricity is ready to be used. The voltage you use in your home is usually 100V (in Japan), 120V (in North and Central America), or 220-240V (in most other parts of the world).

Related pages

• Electricity
• Static electricity
• Power line communication

Images for kids

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  320 and 150 kV in Dnipro

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  Overhead powerline Dnieper crossing, Ukraine

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  A man working on powerlines in Nauru (2007)

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  430 and 250 kV at medium substation

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  Low-profile power lines near an airfield

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  Medium-voltage power lines with ceramic insulators in California

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  Modular suspension insulators are used for high-voltage lines. The objects attached to the conductors near the bottom of the insulator are Stockbridge dampers.

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  Sample cross-section of ACSR power line

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  Conventional ACSR (left) and modern carbon core (right) conductors

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  A bundle conductor

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  Spacer damper for four-conductor bundles

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  Bundle conductor attachment

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  Aluminum conductor crosslinked polyethylene insulation wire. It is used for 6600V power lines.

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  A Stockbridge damper

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  Medium-voltage compact overhead power line mounted on a concrete pole in Thailand. The appearance is similar to a bundle conductor, but this line consists of three conductors, which are attached to a single, cross-shaped porcellain insulator.

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  Aerial bundled cable in Old Coulsdon, Surrey

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  An aviation obstruction marker on a high-voltage overhead transmission line reminds pilots of the presence of an overhead line. Some markers are lit at night or have strobe lights.

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  The Ekibastuz–Kokshetau high-voltage line in Kazakhstan. It was the first commercially used power line which operated at 1150 kV, the highest transmission line voltage in the world.

See also

In Spanish: Línea eléctrica aérea para niños