Battery

First stop on our electricity exploration!

A battery is a device that generates electrical power. A battery can be used to power other electronic devices.

Use It In a Sentence!

"Oh no! The flashlight's batteries are dead! It won't turn on!"

Complete Circuit

A circuit is an electrical system where a battery is hooked up to an electrical device. The battery powers the electrical device (usually a lightbulb). A complete circuit is where the circuit is all hooked up and working. A battery, device, and possibly a switch are hooked up with wires and the electricity can completely flow through the circuit, making it complete!

As you can see, a complete circuit isn't complete unless all the parts are there and hooked up!

Use it in a Sentence!

"This isn't a complete circuit, we are missing the battery!"

Conductors of Electricity

Our next stop on our electricity exploration is conductors of electricity!

Conductors of electricity are materials that allow electricity to easy flow through them! Examples of these conductors are silver, copper, and water!

This wire is made out of copper- a conductor! So we wrap it in plastic or rubber, which are insulators! These insulators protect us from getting shocked by the conductors that carry electricity.

Use it in a Sentence!

"Watch out! That wire is a conductor of electricity so it will shock you if you touch it!"

Electrical charge describes the charge in particles- which are the unseen things that make up all matter in our world. These particles are either positive, negative, or neutral. The charge decides how particles interact. If they have the same charge, they repel each other. If they have different charges, they attract each other!

Electrical Charge

Use It In a Sentence!

"Because of their electrical charges, the two positive particles would not stay next to each other."

See how the similar ones try to move away but the opposites move towards each other? That's charges at work!

Electrical Circuit

As we discussed with complete circuit, an electrical circuit is a path through which electricity flows. This circuit needs a power source that creates the energy and electricity that flows through it.

Use it in a Sentence!

The light bulb lit up after it was hooked up to an electric circuit.

Electrical Current

The electrical current is the flow of electricity or electrical charge! This is what flows through the circuits we have discussed!

Use it in a Sentence!

"It is so neat how our string lights are powered by an electrical current! Who would know that there is electricity moving and flowing through them at this moment?"

Electrical Insulators

Unlike electrical conductors, electrical insulators do not let electrical currents and charges flow through them. They block the flow of electricity attempting to come through. They are like a defense team for football- they stop the incoming players! Common insulators are plastic, rubber, and air!

Use it in a Sentence!

"It's okay to touch that. It is covered by an electrical insulator so it won't hurt you!"

Incomplete Circuit

We are almost done with our electricity journey!

Unlike a complete circuit, an incomplete circuit is where one or more of the components of a circuit is missing. When they are missing, the current can't pass all the way through and make the circuit work.

Uh oh! One of the wires isn't connected to the lightbulb in this picture! So the current can't pass through. This makes this an incomplete circuit!

Use it in a Sentence!

"We won't be able to get our light bulb to light up until we find a way to fix this incomplete circuit!"

Insulator

Like we discussed with electrical insulators, insulators is any material that blocks the flow or passage of something. Insulators can be things that stop the flow of air, heat, electricity, water, etc. They are commonly used to keep buildings warm or cool or in water bottles to keep them cold.

Use it in a Sentence!

"Construction workers use foam and other insulators when building houses to keep houses warm in the winter."

Look at this worker go! He is spraying a foam to help keep this house nice and warm on cold winter nights!