#Voltage and current to work done time series#

Electric current is split between the different paths. If light bulbs are connected in a parallel circuit, and one of the bulbs is removed, the current will still be able to flow to light the other bulbs in the circuit. Parallel circuit: A type of circuit that allows current to flow through parallel paths. Insulator: A substance made up of atoms that hold onto electrons very tightly, thus not allowing electrons to move through very easily. The one exception is that it is acceptable to use L for litres since the letter ‘l’ is often confused for the number ‘1’! VocabularyĪmmeter: An instrument used to measure the electric current in a circuit the unit of measurement is amperes or amps (A).Ĭircuit: A path for electric current to flow.Ĭonductor: A substance made up of atoms which hold electrons loosely, allowing them to move through it more easily.Įlectric current: A continuous flow of electric charge moving from one place to another along a pathway required to make all electrical devices work measured in amperes or amps (A).Įlectrochemical reaction: A reaction that most often involves the transfer of electrons between two substances, either caused by or accompanied by an electric current.Įlectrode: A conductor through which a current enters or leaves an object or substance.Įlectron: A subatomic particle that has a negative electrical charge. These rules are important to follow since the lower- and uppercase letters may represent different units, such as the tonne (t) and the tesla (T). The unit for resistance was also named after a person (Georg Simon Ohm), but uses the symbol Ω which represents the Greek letter omega. In these cases, the units were named after Alessandro Volta and André-Marie Ampère. It is tradition to use a capital letter when the unit is named after a person. You may notice that the symbols for several of the SI units ( International System of Units) in this lesson plan are capitalized, such as the volt (V) and the ampere (A), as opposed to the ones you’re used to using (m, kg).

#Voltage and current to work done time series#

In this series of activities, students will experiment with wires, batteries, and switches to create their own electric circuits, while learning about voltage, current, and resistance at the same time. Resistance is kind of like the pipe width – the thinner the pipe, the higher the resistance, and the harder it is for the water the flow through.Current is equivalent to the rate of the water flow.Voltage is equivalent to the water pressure that pushes water out into the pipe.

If we want current to flow directly from one point to another, we should use a wire that has as little resistance as possible.Ī neat analogy to help understand these terms: a system of plumbing pipes. We can use resistance to our benefit by transforming the electrical energy lost in a resistor into heat energy (like in an electric stove), light energy (a light bulb), sound energy (radio), mechanical energy (electric fan), or magnetic energy (an electromagnet). Resistance is measured in ohms and refers to the forces that oppose the flow of electron current in a wire. The voltage between two points in a circuit is the total energy required to move a small electric charge from one point to the other, divided by the size of the charge. Voltage is sometimes called electric potential and is measured in volts. In order for a current to flow, the circuit must be closed in other words, there must be an uninterrupted path from the power source, through the circuit, then back to the power source. Electric current is measured in amperes (amps) and refers to the number of charges that move through the wire per second.

Sometimes electrons can be moved away from their atoms.Įlectric current is the movement of electrons through a wire. An atom usually has the same number of protons (which have a positive charge) and electrons (which have a negative charge). The atoms are made of even smaller parts called protons, electrons and neutrons. Electric energy must be changed to other forms of energy such as heat, light or mechanical in order to be useful.Įverything we see is made up of tiny little parts called atoms. Identify how electricity is used in household appliances.ĭescribe the relationship between an electron and current electricity.Įlectricity is used to operate your cell phone, power trains and ships, run your refrigerator, and power motors in machines like food processors. Describe the components required to complete an electric circuit.ĭemonstrate the different ways to complete a circuit (parallel or series).