Electricity

4th GradeScience Vocabulary

ElectricityEverything in the world is made up of atoms. Each atom has smaller parts in it. One of those parts is called electrons. Electrons can move from atom to atom. When an electron moves to a different atom, it causes another electron to have to move. When electrons move quickly from one atom to another it is called Electricity!

Inside an atom, electrons have a negative charge and protons have a positive charge. These particles attract each other.A charge is a measure of the extra positive or negative particles that an object has.

The steady flow of electricity is called an electric current. A current will move along a wire or a path called a circuit.Circuit means to go around.

Parts of a CircuitConnecting WiresControl device Battery (gives the circuit power)Light bulb

What is different about these two circuits?AB

CircuitsA series circuit is a circuit that has only one path for the current.A parallel circuit has more than one path for current to travel.AB

Series CircuitsIn a series circuit, electricity has only one path on which to travel. Electricity flows from the battery to each bulb, one at a time, in the order they are wired to the circuit.

SeriesInterrupted Series CircuitIn this case, because the electricity can only flow in one path, if one of the bulbs blew out, the other bulb would not be able to light up because the flow of electric current would have been interrupted. In the same way, if one bulb was unscrewed, the current flow to both bulbs would be interrupted.

Why do I need to know this?

Lets Build Some Circuits

ComparisonOnly one path for current to flowMultiple paths for current to flowTotal resistance increasesTotal resistance stays sameHoliday lights-Household Current

Series CircuitParallel CircuitDefinitionResistanceExamples

Circuit Songhttp://mstraiteducationresources.weebly.com/

Day 2

Reviewhttp://www.andythelwell.com/blobz/

Lights in our homes are wired in parallel circuits.

Static ElectricityStatic electricity is an excess of electric charge trapped on the surface of an object. The charge remains until it is allowed to escape to an object with a weaker or opposite electrical charge

Insulators and Conductors

ConductorA conductor is a material that current can pass through easily, like metals.

ResistorA resistor is a material that resists, but doesnt stop the flow of current.

InsulatorAn insulator is a material that current cannot pass through easily, like plastic.

Electric CellAn electric cell supplies energy to move charges through a circuit. The term 'Battery' refers to a stack of Cells

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