Power cut facts for kids

Electricity pylon that carries electricity. If these fail, there may be a power cut.

A power cut, sometimes called a power outage or blackout, is a word for when the electric power does not work in an area. It is sometimes caused by a power line (or electricity cable) falling down, but may also happen due to routine maintenance. In poor countries, such as many in Africa, there are regular power cuts as more people try to use the electricity than there is to go around. An uninterruptible power supply can protect sensitive equipment such as computers or other electronics during a power cut, allowing it to be properly shut down.

Images for kids

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  Vehicle lights provided the only illumination during the 2009 Ecuador electricity crisis

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  Tree limbs creating a short circuit in power lines during a storm. This typically results in a power outage in the area supplied by these lines

See also

In Spanish: Apagón eléctrico para niños