•Electricity is one of the most powerful forces in our lives.  •As a matter of fact, it can even kill you.  •The most vital part of electricity is called electric energy.  •This is what we commonly think of when we hear the word electricity.  •“Electricity” reminds us of anything that we plug into an electrical outlet in order to make it work, such as lights, refrigerators, video games, microwaves, and computers.

What is Electricity?

What is Electricity?

• Scientists discovered ways to produce electric energy in large amounts in order to make heat, light and motion.  These discoveries have improved our lives greatly and for many of us it would be difficult to picture what life would be like without electricity.

• Everything in the world, including air, humans, water, etc. is made up of atoms, or tiny invisible particles. 

• Protons and neutrons join together to form the nucleus or center of the atom.  Electrons, which are even smaller, spin around the nucleus of the atom.  When electrons move from one atom to another, they form electricity. 

How Does Electricity Work?

How Does Electricity Work?

• All right, but how do these protons and neutrons help make my computer work at home?  In today’s world, huge generators at power plants make electricity by using coal, natural gas, uranium, water, or wind.

• Electric current travels through transformers which push the power a long distance through transmission lines that run across countries.  The current often goes through a substation and then travels on smaller power lines or along underground cables through your neighborhood.

How Does Electricity Work?

How do you use electricity every day?

Facts About Electricity and Energy 

•Thomas Edison owned the first power plant ever!  The power plant opened in New York City in 1882. •Today one power plant can make enough electricity for 188,000 homes to use. •Thomas Edison invented the first long-lasting light bulb.                             •Benjamin Franklin showed us that lightning is a form of electricity.

• In the United States, the most common way to make electricity is by burning coal.

• The strength of an electric current is measured in volts.

• The higher the voltage number, the more force there is pushing the electric current through the wire.

• The voltage of a flash light battery is 1.5 volts. • Just one spark of static electricity can equal 3,000

volts. • A lightning bolt can measure up to 3,000,000 volts

and it occurs in just a fraction of a second.

Facts About Electricity and Energy 

What causes you to be shocked when you rub your feet across carpet?

An electrical discharge is the passing of an electric current through the air from a negatively charged object to a positively charge object. This is what causes lightning!

Types of Circuits

An electric circuit is a path around which electricity can travel. There must be a source of electricity, and an unbroken path from one side of the source to the other.

Circuit demonstrations

Series Circuit

Parallel Circuit

Lia

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• Magnets have been known for centuries.Magnets have been known for centuries.

• The Chinese and Greeks knew about the The Chinese and Greeks knew about the “magical” properties of magnets. “magical” properties of magnets.

• The ancient Greeks used a stone The ancient Greeks used a stone substance called “magnetite.” substance called “magnetite.”

• They discovered that the stone always They discovered that the stone always pointed in the same direction. pointed in the same direction.

What is Magnetism?What is Magnetism?

Magnetism is the force of attraction or repulsion of a magnetic material due to the arrangement of its atoms, particularly its electrons.

The ends of a magnet are where the magnetic effect is the strongest. These are called “poles.” Each magnet has2 poles – 1 north, 1 south.

If you cut a magnet If you cut a magnet in half,in half,

you get 2 magnets!you get 2 magnets!

The Earth is a magnet:The Earth is a magnet:It exerts magnetic forces It exerts magnetic forces and is surrounded by aand is surrounded by amagnetic field that is magnetic field that is strongest near thestrongest near theNorth and South North and South magnetic polesmagnetic poles

Sometimes, Sometimes, the Earth’s the Earth’s magnetic magnetic poles flip. poles flip. This This happens happens every half-every half-million years million years or so.or so.

Button

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Not AttractAttractItemWhich will a magnet attract?

Button

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Nuts & Bolts

Scissors

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Penny

Paper Clip

Pencil

NoYesItem