Electricity

Student Instruction 1 Before you begin reading the ‘Electricity’ notes,’ make sure you have your Table of Contents, Notebook Rubric, Writing Rubric and page numbers already in place. Now copy the Objective and Essential Question. Be sure to answer all questions, when prompted, in your notebook.

Electricity Objective: Students will be able to identify and classify the characteristics of electricity by analyzing written and oral text and through hands on exploration by the end of the lesson.

Electricity Essential Question: How does electricity move from one place to another?

Electric Charge Electric charge is the physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when close to other electrically charged matter. All matter is made of Atoms.

Atoms Atoms have positive charges called protons and negative charges called electrons.. The neutrons are the part of the atom that have no electrical charge. Neutrons and protons make up the nucleus or center of an atom, while electrons circle this nucleus.

Student Instruction 3 Write a paragraph explaining how magnetism and electricity are similar. Be sure to give it a title. Student Instruction 2 Draw 2 pictures (in your notebook), 1 of the atom on slide 6 and 1 of three magnets; two connecting and one repelling.

Electricity and Magnetism Positively charged substances are repelled from other positively charged substances, but attracted to negatively charged substances; negatively charged substances are repelled from negative and attracted to positive.

Static Electricity Static electricity is when stagnant or resting electrical charges are activated by rubbing things together.

Create static electricity at home and write about it. Explain what you did and how it felt. Student Instruction 4

Electric Movement When electric charges move by jumping between objects with unlike charges, it is called a discharge. The smooth flow of electricity through certain material is called electric current.

Conductors Electric current moves easily through certain materials. These materials are called conductors. Most metals are conductors. Copper is an example of a good conductor, which is why it is often used in the wiring of homes and businesses.

Insulators When electric current does not move through an object, the material is called an insulator. Examples of insulators include glass, rubber, air, and plastic. Rubber and plastic are considered to be good insulators with high resistance, which is why they are often used to coat wires.

Student Instruction 6 What is a conductor? Be sure to use your own words to explain. Give an example of a conductor you found at home. Student Instruction 5 What is a insulator? Be sure to use your own words to explain. Give an example of an insulator you found at home.

Electrical Circuit An electrical circuit is the course the current follows. A complete simple circuit requires a sources (the battery), a path (the wires), and a receiver or load (the thing that will work. example: light bulb, motor).

Series Circuit In a series circuit all of the components are connected, one after another, to form a single path. Current travels continuously on this path in one direction, from the negative side of the source through the receiver or load to the positive side of the source, unless it is interrupted.

Parallel Circuit In a parallel circuit the electric current can follow more than one path. Current travels from the negative side of the source, through all available paths, through the connected receivers, and back to the positive side of the source.

Closed and Open Circuits If the path is complete, it is called a closed circuit. In a closed (series or parallel) circuit all receivers will work. If the path is broken (disconnected wire or receiver), it is called an open circuit. In an open series circuit all the receivers will not work. When a path is broken in a parallel circuit, only the receivers connected to the affected path will not work.

Student Instruction 8 Name the 3 characteristics of a simple electrical circuit. Student Instruction 7 Draw a closed simple circuit with a D-cell battery, a red wire and a mini light bulb.

Schematic Drawings Schematic Drawing Key Wire Bulb Battery Switch Scientist and electricians use circuit diagrams called schematics to show different kinds of circuits. Universal (common/general) symbols are use to represent each circuit component. This allows the diagram to serve as a map of a circuit and any reader can navigate it. Complete the above table in your notebook by adding the correct symbols. (See pg 7 in Electrical Circuits)

Resources Electrical Circuits – Delta Education