The brown cylinder and the brown plates in a chain are insulators that are holding in place a wire from a high-voltage transformer. Their resistance is really big!

We don't have to worry about the possibility that a broken wire will "flood the basement with electricity." Electrical current stays in the wires. But there are electrical equivalents to big pipes and thin tubes.

Materials needed for this section

• batteries and battery holders *
• wires with clip ends *
• light bulb *
• buzzer *
• light emitting diode *
• various objects and materials to test (" ... a light bulb, a buzzer, plain water, some very salty or vinegary water, a automatic pencil lead, and yourself (it won't hurt.... much). Include something that you think is a good conductor and something that you think does not conduct at all... ") (you provide)
• resistors *
• capacitor *

Another page you might find interesting:
Why study electrical resistance?

Next section:Circuits