Battery

A battery is a device that stores energy until it is needed. Chemicals inside the battery store the energy. When the battery is used, the chemical energy changes into electrical energy.

Batteries are used to power many things like flashlights, toys, and remotes. 

Can you think of anything around your 

house that is powered by batteries?

The remote won't work if there 

aren't any batteries in it!

Conductors of Electricity

A conductor of electricity is a certain material that allows for the flow of electric current to pass through.

Some conductors

of electricity

that might sound

familiar are:

silver, gold, water, iron,

trees, and many others.

Your body is 70% water! This makes you a good conductor of electricity. If a tree gets struck by lightning and falls over, and you touch the tree, you become the conductor and could get electrocuted!

Complete Circuit

A complete circuit is an uninterrupted path for electrons to flow from an energy source, through a device and back to the energy source.

The components of a complete circuit include:

The wire (conducts electric current)

The switch (completes circuit)

The battery (pushes electric current around circuit)

The light bulb (changes electrical energy to light energy)

When my light switch is turned on, that is a complete circuit.

Electrical Charge

An electrical charge is made up of charges, protons (positive) and electrons (negative).

When electrons move from a place where there are too many to a place where there's not enough, an electrical charge occurs.

Ouch, the doorknob shocked me! That was an electrical charge.

Electrical Circuit

An electrical circuit is a complete path that allows for the flow of the electric current to power a device. 

My toaster won't work until I plug it in to create an electrical circuit.

Electrical Current

An electrical current is when electricity charges from one circuit to another. It is the flow of electrons through the electrical circuit. 

When I'm playing my video games it is an electrical current!

Electrical Insulator

An electrical insulator is a material that blocks electricity from passing through. 

Insulators are the opposite of conductors. 

Some electrical insulators that we see everyday are glass, rubber, 

and plastic.

Look at this diagram to see the 

difference between a 

conductor and an insulator!

Incomplete Circuit

An incomplete circuit is a circuit where the path has been interrupted, which makes the current unable to flow. 

My phone charger wasn't charging my phone because it was ripped open so it was an incomplete circuit.