Download Electricity and Magnetism Vocabulary Pearson

Electricity and Magnetism
Chapter 2, Lesson 1: What are some forms of energy?
Energy – The ability to do work or to cause change
Electrical energy – the movement of electrical charges
Light energy – Energy we can see
Heat – the transfer of energy from a warmer object to a colder object
Mechanical energy – Energy that motion or position gives to an object (move or lift)
Potential energy – stored energy (when you are standing still)
Chemical energy – the stored energy in food, fuels, and batteries
Kinetic energy – the energy of motion (potential energy can change into kinetic energy)
Lesson 2: How do electric charges flow in a circuit?
Atoms – tiny building blocks that make up all matter
Positive particles +
Negative particles –
Electric current – an electric charge in motion
Circuit – a current in which electric charges flow in a loop
Power source – the place from which the power comes
Conductor – a material through which an electric charge can move through easily (most
metals)
Insulators – a material through which an electric charge may not move through (rubber,
glass, plastic, wood)
Series circuits – an electric charge flows in only one circular path. Any break in the path
will stop the current from flowing.
Parallel circuit – electric charges run through 2 or more paths
Lesson 3: What is Magnetism?
Magnetic Field – the space around a magnet in which magnetic forces operate
Magnetic poles – the two ends of a magnet
The north pole attracts to the south end, but same poles repel each other
Magnetic domains – groups of lined up atoms and magnetic fields
Magnetic compass – a tool that helps tell direction. The needle points to the north due to
earth’s magnetic field
Lesson 4: How are electricity and magnetism transformed?
Electricity and magnetism are related
Hans Christian Oersted – discovered that a magnetic needle moved when he was running an
electric current through a wire
Michael Faraday – invented the first electric motor
Electromagnet – a magnet that works only when electricity is provided (they are in
doorbells, computers, and DVD players. You can make them stronger or weaker.
Motors use electromagnets to create motion. A motor changes electrical energy into
mechanical energy.
Generator – a machine that produces electric energy by turning coils of wire around
powerful magnets