Download Electricity WYSIWYG - DiMaggio

W.Y.S.I.W.Y.G
(What You See Is What You’ll Get)
Unit 4: Electricity and
Magnetism
Part 1: Electrical Basics
Vocabulary
Electric charge
Electron
Proton
Ion
Electric force
Electric Field
Static Electricity
Static Discharge
Electrical Current
Major Concepts
 Charged particles, like protons and electrons, exert a force on each
other.
 Oppositely charged particles will attract each other; similarly charged
particles (like charges) will repel each other.
 Electric force is exerted around a particle in an invisible region called
the electric field, which extends in all directions around the particle.
 Electric fields are stronger the closer together the particles are, and
are also stronger when the electric charge is larger.
 Static electricity is the buildup of charge in a particular area, due to the movement of
electrons.
o Electrons are the only part of an atom which can move from atom
to atom. Protons are trapped in the nucleus.
 Static discharge occurs when objects touch, and electrons move rapidly
from one to the other in order to restore a balance of charge.
 Electrical current occurs when electrons or other charged particles
called ions flow continuously.
Part 2: Current Electricity and Circuits
Vocabulary
Current
Insulator
Voltage
Circuit
Circuit diagram
Resistance
Parallel circuit
Conductor
Series circuit
Major Concepts
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Current, the flow of electrons, is measured in Amperes (A or amp for short).
Voltage is a measure of the difference in charge between two connected areas, and
provides the push in a circuit. It is measured in Volts (V).
Resistance is a measure of how well electrons can flow through a material, and
how much they will be slowed down by the material. Resistance is measured
in Ohms ().
o Materials with a low resistance, like copper and other metals, are
called conductors.
o Materials with a high resistance, like rubber, are called insulators.
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Current is related to both voltage and resistance by Ohm’s Law.
o The greater the voltage, the more current there will be.
o The greater the resistance, the less current there will be.
Circuits provide a closed path for electrons to travel as their energy is
being converted.
o All circuits must have a voltage source, a resistor,
and a complete path of wires.
 Series circuits provide only one path for electrons to travel.
o As you add more resistors, the overall current in the circuit
decreases.
 Parallel circuits provide more than one path for electrons to travel
through.
o As you add more branches, the overall resistance of the
circuit decreases.
Formulas
 Voltage = Current x Resistance
Part 3: Electromagnetism
Vocabulary
Solenoid
Electromagnet
Ferromagnet
Magnetic field
Magnetic force
Major Concepts
 Magnetism and electricity are related closely to one another; they can be used to create
each other.
 When current flows through a wire, it creates both an electric field and a magnetic field.
 If a wire is coiled up, it is called a solenoid, and acts as a small
bar magnet. The greater the electrical current, the greater the
magnetic field created.
o If a ferromagnetic core is placed inside the solenoid, it
creates an electromagnet, a magnet which can be turned
on and off.
 Magnets can be used to create an electric current in a coil of
wire, as long as one or the other is moving.
o This is how generators are able to create electricity from
spinning magnets.
S8P5. Students will recognize characteristics of gravity, electricity, and magnetism as major kinds of
forces acting in nature.
b. Demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of series and parallel circuits and how they transfer
energy.
c. Investigate and explain that electric currents and magnets can exert force on each other.