Ed Chalmers, age 8, of Tacoma, Wash., for his question:

  WHEN WAS THE ELECTRIC FAN INVENTED?

  In 1886, a man named Schuyler Wheeler made the world's first electric  fan when he placed a propeller on the end of a shaft which he turned  with  an electric motor. When the propeller revolved with the shaft,  it pushed the air away and created an air current.   All electric fans today circulate air by means of propeller blades  or turboblowers. The blades are connected to the motor shaft with  belts.

  The most common electric fan is the one used in homes to create  a breeze in hot weather. The motor draws power from the main circuit  of the house. Fans can be used to either pull cool outside air into  a room, or to draw hot, stuffy inside air out.

Exhaust fans are used to draw both cooking odors and gases out of kitchens. ` Industrial plants use large fans to draw out gases, dust and hot air. Fans are also used for ventilation. In addition, often they are used to clean grains.