Source facts for kids

Source is a word with many different meanings! It can mean where something begins, like the start of a river. It can also mean a place where you get information, such as a book, a website, or even a person. In different areas like science, technology, or music, "source" can mean very specific things. Let's explore some of the most common ways we use this word.

Finding Information: Research Sources

When you are doing research for a school project or just learning about something new, you often need to find information. The places where you get this information are called sources.

Types of Information Sources

• Source text: This is any piece of writing or document that gives you information. When you use information from a source, you should always mention where you found it. This is called a citation.
• Primary source: Imagine you are learning about a historical event. A primary source is like a direct witness. It's information created at the time of the event by someone who was there.
  • Examples: A diary entry from someone living during a war, a photograph taken at a specific moment, or an original speech.
• Secondary source: These sources are created after an event by people who were not directly there. They usually analyze or explain primary sources.
  • Examples: A history textbook, a biography about a famous person, or a documentary film. These are often written by experts who have studied many primary sources.
• Tertiary source: These are collections of information from both primary and secondary sources. They help you get a quick overview of a topic.
  • Examples: Encyclopedias, dictionaries, or fact books. They summarize information from many other places.

Technology and Energy Sources

In the world of technology and science, "source" often refers to where something comes from or where it starts.

Where Things Begin

• River source: This is the exact spot where a river or stream begins. It could be a spring, a lake, or even melting snow.
• Source code: This is the set of instructions that computer programmers write to create software, apps, and games. It's like the recipe for a computer program.
  • Many programs are free software or open-source software, meaning their source code can be seen and sometimes changed by anyone.
• Light source: This is anything that produces light, like the sun, a lamp, or a flashlight.
• Sound source: This is anything that makes sound, such as a musical instrument, a person talking, or a car horn.
• Communication source: In communication, this is the person or thing that sends a message. For example, when you talk to a friend, you are the source of the message.

Power and Electricity

• Energy sources: These are materials or processes that contain a lot of energy that we can use. We use them to power our homes, cars, and devices.
  • Examples: Solar energy (from the sun), wind power, fossil fuels like coal or oil, and hydroelectric power (from water).
• Voltage source: This is a device that creates an electrical force, pushing electricity through a circuit. A battery is a common example of a voltage source.
• Current source: This is an electronic device that provides a steady flow of electric current.

Gaming Technology

• Source engine: This is a special computer program created by a company called Valve Software. It's used to build many popular video games, especially for games like Half-Life 2.
  • Games like Counter-Strike: Source and Day of Defeat: Source use this engine, which means they share similar graphics and physics.

Music and Entertainment

"The Source" is also a popular name for albums, songs, and even magazines!

Music Albums and Artists

• The Source (album): This is an album by the famous hip-hop group Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five.
• The Source: An album by the talented musician Ali Farka Touré.
• The Source (musician): This is the stage name for John Truelove, a record producer from the UK who makes electronic music.
• Source: An album released by the band The Duskfall in 2003.

Movies and TV Shows

• The Source (documentary): A movie from 1999 that tells the story of the Beat Generation, a group of writers and artists from the 1950s.
• The Source (film): A science fiction movie from 2002, also known by other names like The Secret Craft.
• The Source (Charmed): In the TV series Charmed, this is a powerful evil being.
• Highlander: The Source: This is the fifth movie in the popular Highlander series.

Books and Magazines

"The Source" can also be the title of books or magazines.

• The Source (novel): A famous novel written by James A. Michener in 1967.
• The Source (magazine): A well-known magazine that focuses on hip-hop music and culture.
• Source (comics): In the world of DC Comics, this is a powerful, wise being that gives advice to characters like the New Gods.

Media and Broadcasting

• Journalism sourcing: In news reporting, a source is a person, document, or record that provides information to a journalist. Journalists rely on good sources to report accurate news.
• The Source (network): This was a radio network that operated in the 1970s and 1980s, run by NBC.
• WVUR-FM: This is a student-run radio station at Valparaiso University, also known as "The Source."

See also

In Spanish: Source (desambiguación) para niños