Electricity

Conductor vs. Insulator

Standard

Students will understand features of static and current electricity and that electricity

is a form of energy

Review

Examples of Static

Electricity• Laundry sticking together • Hair standing up after jumping on a

trampoline• Combing or brushing clean dry hair• Getting “shocked” by someone• Shuffling across carpet • Lightning

How do you know

static electricity is present

• A crackling sound

• A spark can be seen and felt

• Items cling together

Lightning is a giant spark of static electricity thatforms in the clouds. Lightning is caused by the

movementof positive and negative charges toward one another.

During a storm the particles in a cloud become statically charged by the action of the wind blowing

Them around the cloud. The stronger source of static electricity moves towards the weaker source causing

the flash that we see as lightning.

What is Lightning?

What holds a static charge?

Metal, Wood and Glass

Plastic and Rubber

What does not hold a static charge?

What holds a week attraction?

Tissue Paper, Glitter, Sawdust, Paper Dots, Puffed

Rice

Erasers, Yarn, Pins, Paperclips

What holds a strong attraction?

Does everything hold a static charge?

No

Static Electricity:

Builds charges in one place

Current Electricity:A discharge of electricity that

moves along a pathway

Definitions

Incomplete Circuit:

A piece not connected – the light is off

Complete Circuit:A finished circuit with every pieceattached – the light is on

Definitions

Power Source:

The source of electricity = battery

Pathway:The path the electricity follows = wire

Definitions

Load:

Uses the electricity = light bulb

Switch:Opens and closes the pathway =

switch

Definitions

Illustrate the Circuit

 

Illustrate and Label a Switch

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

________________________________

load

pathway

pathway

switchpower source

How does changing the power

source affect the circuit?

The more batteries there are, the brighter the light

Power Source

How does changing the pathway

affect the circuit?

The more wires there are, the light doesn’t change

Pathway Source

How does changing the load affect

the circuit?

The more bulbs there are, dimmer the light

Load Source

How does changing the switch

affect the circuit?

All switches have to be in the on position in order for the light to turn

on

Switch Source

Electricity

Conductor vs. Insulator

Conductor:

A substance through which electricity passes easily

Insulator:A substance through which electricity

doesn’t pass easily

Resistor:A substance through which electricity passes with difficulty

Definitions

Experiment Time

What items were

conductors?Penny Pencil

(Wood)Pencil (Metal)

Eraser Paperclip

Nail Yarn Drinking Straw

Rubber Band

Popsicle Stick

What do they have in common? Electricity flows throughWhat do they have in common?

Why does electricity flow?They are made with a type of

metal

What items were

insulators?Penny Pencil

(Wood)Pencil (Metal)

Eraser Paperclip

Nail Yarn Drinking Straw

Rubber Band

Popsicle Stick

What do they have in common? Electricity doesn’t flowWhat do they have in common?

Why doesn’t electricity flow?They are not made with a type of

metal

What We Learned

We learned what type of items are conductors of

electricity and what items are insulators