Photocopier

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/photocopier

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the inventor?Chester Carlson
2. What is the year of first patent?1938
3. How does a photocopier use light to copy a picture?First, a drum inside the copier is charged with electricity. Light from the original document changes the charge on the drum, and a powder called toner sticks to the charged spots. Paper then picks up the toner and a heat unit fuses it to create a copy.
4. Who invented the photocopier and when did it first become available?Chester Carlson invented the idea of photocopying in 1938. The first commercial copier, the Xerox 914, was released in 1959.

Electrophotography: A process that uses light and electrostatic charges to reproduce images on paper, forming the basis of xerography.
Toner: A fine powder used in xerographic copiers and laser printers, composed of plastic particles and pigment, that is electrostatically attracted to a charged drum.
Photosensitive Drum: A cylindrical component in a photocopier or laser printer that becomes electrically conductive when exposed to light, used to capture the image.
Fuser Unit: A component in a photocopier or laser printer that uses heat and pressure to permanently bond toner to paper.