Public utility

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

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/public-utility

1. What are public utilities and why do we need them?
2. Why is there usually only one big company for water or electricity instead of many?

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 are public utilities and why do we need them?Public utilities are companies that give us water, light, and internet. They keep our homes, schools, and hospitals working smoothly.
2. Why is there usually only one big company for water or electricity instead of many?Building pipes and power grids costs a lot of money. One big company can build them more efficiently than many small ones.

Economies of Scale: Cost advantages experienced by a firm when it increases its level of output, leading to lower per-unit costs.
Natural Monopoly: A market structure where a single firm can supply the entire market at a lower cost than two or more firms due to high infrastructure costs.