Dangerous Waters Energy Science-SMART! Home


Activities and Experiments

Fantastic Facts

  • What are those little boxes on hair dryer cords? In the early 1980s there were about 18 deaths a year caused by hair dryers falling into bathtubs or sinks filled with water. Since 1991, hair dryer manufacturers have been required to include GFCIs on the dryer cords. The number of hair dryer related deaths has dropped to an average of two per year.

  • Why are sharks such good hunters? A shark’s senses are so acute it can detect the electrical impulses produced by the bodies of other underwater animals. The fact that water is a good conductor of electricity makes it possible for sharks to use this electrical sixth sense to hunt prey.

  • Do fish ever get struck by lightning? Because water conducts electricity, when lightning strikes water it spreads out along the surface. Any fish near the surface of the water get electrocuted.

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