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Inside the Machine G3 to G5 / Week 05 / Wednesday
3/6
Week 05 · How the parts connect

Wednesday

Cables carry two things
// Boards, ports, cables and radio
⏱ about 15 min

Wednesday: Cables carry two things

A neighbor sets a keyboard on the bench. "It stopped typing in the middle of a story," she says. Rocket looks at the cable. One end hangs loose from the port.

Raven leans close. "What do you notice about where the cable meets the computer?"

Nova blinks a cheerful blue. "Would you like a hint? A cable is a road. If the road has a gap, nothing gets across."

What is inside a cable

A cable is a bundle of thin wires wrapped in plastic. The plastic keeps the wires apart and safe.

Some wires carry power. Some wires carry information as on and off pulses.

A USB cable carries both. That is why one cable can charge a device and move files.

A headphone cable carries sound signals. A video cable carries picture signals.

  • A cable only works when both ends are pushed in all the way.
  • A loose cable is one of the most common problems in the Fix-It Bay.
  • A bent or frayed cable can stop working. Tell a grown-up about any damage.
  • Never pull a cable by the cord. Hold the plug.
INSIDE THE CABLE
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
What is inside a cable?
Which cable can carry both power and information?
How should you unplug a cable from a mouse or keyboard?

The loose cable fix

Checking a cable is a fix a kid may do, with a grown-up nearby.

First notice: is the device not responding? Then look at both ends of its cable.

If an end is loose, push it in gently until it stops. Then test the device again.

This fix is only for cables between devices. Wall plugs and chargers are for grown-ups.

Safety first
A kid checks cables that join a mouse, keyboard or headphones to a device.
A kid never touches a plug in a wall outlet or a charger brick.
If a cable is frayed, hot or sparking, step back. Tell a grown-up right away.
StatementTrue or false?
A USB cable can carry power and information.?
A cable works even if one end is half out.?
You should pull a cable out by the cord.?
A kid may touch a plug in a wall outlet.?
WHY THIS EXERCISECables are roads for power and signals. A gap in the road, or a damaged road, stops everything.
What is a cable made of inside the plastic?
WHY THIS EXERCISEWires carry the power and the pulses. The plastic around them keeps the wires safe and apart.
PUT THE KEYBOARD FIX IN ORDER
  • ?Notice the keyboard stopped typing
  • ?Look at both ends of the keyboard cable
  • ?Push the loose end in gently
  • ?Test: type a letter
  • ?If it still fails, ask a grown-up
WHY THIS EXERCISEA loose cable is a common and easy fix. Testing after the fix tells you if it worked.
Try it
On paper, draw a cable as a road with two lanes.
Label one lane power and one lane information.
Now draw a gap in the road. What happens to the cars?
The thin metal threads inside a cable are
A cable that charges and moves files at once is a
To unplug safely, hold the

Well done! You found the gap in the road and fixed it the safe way. Tomorrow the crew connects things with no cable at all.

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