The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-12-24

Whenever you ask an electrical en-
gineer question he sei2es pad an'
draws picture This is getting ta'
cart before the horse The picture
graphic representation OF an idea
you have to comprehend the idea be
fore You can grasp the Significance oI
the picture
Electricity is far more doiinite
science than that Of steam power.
The public has learned from constant
renetition that about 90 per cent OF
the energy liberated by burning caa'
I'd rnn steam engine is wasted IN
an electrical machine the waste is FAR
less and the amount Of energy that is
generated can be measured far more
accurately.
Electric generators are machines To
transform mechanical power in;o
electrical power In other woro'
they generate electric currm, when
driven by mechanical awor. They
are run by steam engines, turbines
gas engines or some other form of
mechanical power called prime moY~
ers. The generator is conSirnft-
ed TO transform the amount Of me
chanical power that the prime mover
running it supplies \ generator
run BY ten horse power engine Tor
instance, will transform ten horse
mower of energy, less a small per
centage (about 10 per cenU lost m
the process. Electrical engineers
dom usually say that generator
Transforms Ten horse power Iher
measure of energy cor power IS the
kiloyatt which is equal 10 one and
third horse power So they say mat
the generator transforms seven and
~ half kiIowats, which is the equiv
alent of ten horse power WIZ
should this change in nomenclature
he any more confusing than 10 say
that one inch is equal to two and q
half centimeters?
Mention the action OF electric cur
rent to neophyte, and he imme,
diately assumes a look Of blank per-
plexity. Yet the fundamental facts
ahout electric current are extremely
simple. An electric current win MOI
Inove unless it can move in a com
plete circuit ana get back where IL
came from. This is why it is safer
for man handling an electric cur
rent to work with one hand behind
his back. lie is the mot likely toI
Touch ii in two places and thus com
plete a circuit through himself
Electric current may be said 70 have
exactly the same sort Of intelligence
as a child playing pussinihe-3orner'
The child will not leave he corner
itsoccupies until it secs a corner free
for ii TO go to- BY likening the elea-
tric circuit to The piping system
which leads the water to wash ha5-
III and away from it to the sewer III
ii possible to grasp this idea by
noting the difference in the action OF
electric current and Of the water IN
the case of electricity II YOU ofeh
fhe faucet the electricity will flow
only if the discharge pipe is free all
Che way, and it has the power OF find
ing this out instantly even if the OBJ
struction in thed iseharge pipe very
FAR away. In other words, an elec-
tric current acts physically like one
continuous piece Of material, sueh as
81 hoop or an endless chain, one par'
IN which will not move unless the
Nwhole OF il moves. You cannot re-
solying the whole hoop You canlo'
moye one part or an endless chain
without moving the whole cham III
telegraphing from New York to Cb-
eago the action OF electric current IS
precisely similar To what il would
be if you had long chain reacnihI
sfhis distance and back, and you pun
ed upon It intermittently to make inc
dots and dashes Only instead OF
pulling on thee hahn YOU break and
close the electric circuit. This can
be done at any point along the line
and the effect is apparent at any oth-
er place or at any number OF places
simultaneously. Sometimes the re-
&turn part Of the chain is by second
q electric wire. and sometimes the re
turn is made through the earth'
When the circuit is broken at any
point on the line the current stop
.everywhere. to start again whaa the
Abreak is closed BIZ. how DOES '1'