Electricity

By: Billie Griffin

In order to understand electricity, we must first understand electrical charge.

The atom is the basic unit of matter, which is composed of protons and electrons. These have a positive and negative electrical charge.

An electrical current is similar to a water current. It is a flow of charge that can be of a positive or negative charge.

You're all familiar with what a battery does. This is a key part of making an electrical circuit function.

The battery in the circuit acts as a source of energy that forces the different charges to move in one end, through the circuit, and out the other.

The flow of charge can be easy or difficult depending on the material being used. A conductor is a material which allows for charges to flow easily.

Some examples of conductors include silver, gold, copper, steel, graphite, etc.

While there are materials which allow charges to flow easily, there are also materials which make it more difficult.

Insulators are materials which hold tight to their electrons which makes it more difficult for electrical charge to flow through. Some examples of insulators include plastic, wood and rubber.

An incomplete circuit is a circuit in which there has been an interruption in the circuit. The electricity is not able to go all the way through the incomplete circuit.

A continuous loop of electricity is considered to be a complete circuit. A circuit in which there are no interruptions within the circuit is a complete circuit.

In a series circuit, there is only one path in which the charge can flow. There is a certain order a series goes in; a series circuit works in the same way.

In a parallel circuit, there is now more than one path for the electrical current to flow.

In this type of circuit, each component is connected between a set of common points.

An electrical insulator is a material in which electrons are not able to move freely.

Because electrons cannot flow freely through the electrical insulator, this hinders the electrical current from being able to travel through the material.

Batteries are used for many things in life. They act as a source of energy or an electric generator.

This energy source (battery) is what keeps the charge within the electrical circuit moving.

Assessment

What is the atom composed of?

A. Matter

B. Protons and Electrons

C.Positive and Negative

What is similar to an electrical current based on the reading?

A. Water current

B. Pacific Ocean

C. Atoms

D. Matter