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SOL 5.4 -- Electricity Click here for printable version

SOL 5.4 Electricity

  1. electricity flows easily through conductors but not insulators;
  2. electricity flows through closed circuits;
  3.  static electricity can be generated by rubbing certain materials together;
  4. electrical energy can be transformed into radiant, mechanical, and thermal energy;
  5. a current flowing through a wire creates a magnetic field.

Central Idea: Energy can move from one location to another through electrical circuits; this energy can then be transformed into different forms for multiple uses.

ENERGY
  • The flow of energy as a current through the circuit can be used to do work. The circuit is a system composed of various functioning components.
  • Electricity is used every day. Humans transform electrical energy into different forms of energy to meet needs.
CIRCUITS
  • A simple circuit consists of a bulb, battery, and wire.
  • A closed circuit allows electricity to flow within the circuit.
  • If there is an opening in the circuit, electricity will not flow.



CONDUCTORS AND INSULATORS
  • Conductors are materials which allow electricity to easily flow through them.
    • Examples of conductors include metals.
  • Insulators are materials that do not allow electricity to flow easily through them.
    • Examples of insulators include rubber, wood, and plastics.

STATIC ELECTRICITY
  • Static electricity is the transfer of negatively charged particles between materials.
  • Common examples of static electricity include lightning, clothes sticking together when coming out of a dryer, and getting a shock when touching a door knob.

Electrical to
Mechanical (motion)		 Electrical to
Light (radiant)		 Electrical to
Thermal (heat)
ENERGY TRANSFORMATIONS
  • In a lamp, electrical energy is transformed into radiant energy.
  • In a fan, electrical energy is transformed into mechanical energy.
  • In a toaster, electrical energy is transformed into thermal energy.
MAGNETIC FIELDS
  • A current flowing through a wire creates a magnetic field.
  • Wrapping a wire around certain iron-bearing metals (e.g., an iron nail) and creating a closed circuit is an example of a simple electromagnet.
  • The strength of an electromagnet is mainly affected by the number of coils, the amount of current, the gauge of the wire, and the iron core.
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