Lesson 1/Learning Event 1
Most of the time we simply flip a switch to make electricity work for us. In a house, you use a
switch to turn the lights or radio on. You do the same thing in your car. If the electricity does not
do the work it is supposed to do when you move the switch, you usually need to get help from a
repairer.
You, as a wheeled vehicle mechanic, are the repairer who will be called upon when the electrical
systems of Army vehicles do not work. You will need to find out what is wrong, first, and then
correct the trouble.
Each of us realizes how much we depend on electricity in our day-to-day activity. Without it, there
would be no electric lights, heat, refrigeration, and so forth.
The military vehicles you will be working on must have electricity for many purposes such as
ignition, lights, blower fans, and so forth.
Therefore, it is easy to see that a wheeled vehicle mechanic must have a working knowledge of
electrical circuits to keep the equipment in good operating condition.
To do your job, you will have to know what electricity is, how it is used, and how electrical items
work. This lesson will give you the information to understand what electricity is and how it can be
made to do work for us.
COMMON KNOWLEDGE OF ELECTRICITY
To begin with, let's review some of the things commonly known about electricity.
Normally, closing a switch is all it takes to make it work.
It is available from several sources, such as flashlight batteries, storage batteries like the ones used
in cars, and generators ranging from hydroelectric plants to car generators.
We know electricity can cause a shocking sensation if it touches our bodies. We also know that, as
the amount of electricity increases, the shock we feel gets worse.
It can do work. Today, it is one of our most important sources of energy.
We also know that wires or other connections are needed between the source of electricity and the
appliance to be operated.
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