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The Wires

Power cables are made of metal on the inside (the wire to carry the electricity) with a plastic coating (the insulator to stop the electricity escaping).
Power cables are made of metal on the inside (the wire to carry the electricity) with a plastic coating (the insulator to stop the electricity escaping).
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Click here for the license

Power cables are like the track for the electricity to travel along. We connect things that need power to electricity via power cables.

Their job is to:

Connect all the parts of the circuit together.

💡 Fun Facts

  • Wires are usually made of metal (like copper) on the inside because metal is a great 'conductor' of electricity.
  • The outside of a wire is coated in plastic, which is an 'insulator'. This stops the electricity from escaping and keeps us safe.
  • The thicker a wire is, the more power it can carry.
  • Electricity moves through the wires incredibly fast, at almost the speed of light!