2445086
| Question | Answer |
| positive | when an object has more protons than electrons |
| negative | when an object has more electrons than protons |
| neutral | when an object has an equal amount of protons and electrons |
| coulombs | the unit for charge |
| What is the unit for charge? | coulomb |
| electric force | a push or pull caused by charges |
| What holds protons together within the nucleus of an atom? | strong nuclear force |
| ground | can accept or give an infinite amount of electrons *will neutralize any charge |
| arcing | when a spark jumps between two objects |
| What causes an electric charge and charges to move? | a difference in charges |
| Van de Graff | a machine that separates charge |
| electricity | moving electrons |
| What is the symbol for ground? | |
| Why aren't birds electrocuted when they land on an electrical wire? | -same amount of voltage goes through both legs -if there are two different voltages the bird will be electrocuted |
| Two objects are charged, but don't arc. Why? | they both have either a positive of negative charge *if the charges were different there would be an arc |
| How is lightening formed? | -electrons in ice crystals sink to the bottom of storm clouds -electrons in the ground are repelled, making the ground positive -protons are attracted to the electrons in the clouds -electrons come down to meet the protons causing a flash of light and heat |
| static electricity | when charge builds up on an object or material |
| electroscope | an instrument that detects charge |
| open circuit | a circuit with a break in it; no electricity will flow |
| closed circuit | electricity can flow through |
| circuit diagram | a short-hand way of drawing electric circuits |
| voltage | pushes electricity through a circuit |
| current | the flow of electricity through a circuit |
| resistance | slows down the flow of electricity |
| wires | allow electricity to flow |
| battery | pushes electricity through the circuit |
| resistor | slows down the flow of electricity |
| light bulb | used to create radiant energy |
| switch | can turn electricity on and off |
| What particles carry current? | electrons |
| alternating current | the direction of the current goes back and forth |
| Does the current in a battery alternate? | no, a battery has a direct current |
| direct current | the current flows in one direction only |
| When is alternating current generally used? | when large amounts of electricity are being carried |
| What is energy measured in? | volts |
| What is voltage related to? | potential energy |
| Why are electrical wires made out of copper? | copper is a conductor so it is easy for electricity to move through the wire |
| When does the voltage in a circuit decrease? | any time it passes through an object that uses energy |
| Do all batteries have the same voltage? | yep |
| What is the difference between different types of batteries? | different types of batteries contain different amounts of energy *AAA contain the least |
| What elements are used to make rechargeable batteries? | nickel and cadmium |
| Amps | units for current |
| What is current measured in? | amps |
| Ohms | unit for resistance |
| What is resistance measured in? | ohms |
| conductor | materials that allow electric charges to flow through them easily |
| What are examples of conductors? | metals *especially copper |
| insulator | materials that do not allow electric charges to flow through them easy |
| What are some examples of insulators? | -clay -wood -rubber -water |
| semiconductors | materials that act as resistors but do not stop voltage |
| Why does wiring in homes have an insulator wrapped around it? | so that electricity can not leave the wire and so that you will not burned if you touch the wire |
| What is the role of Argon in a light bulb? | Argon does not react with tungsten because it is a noble gas |
| Why is tungsten used in light bulbs? | Tungsten can reach incredibly high temperatures without melting |
| series circuit | electricity has one path to flow through |
| parallel circuit | electricity has two or more paths to flow through |
| What type of circuits are commonly used in homes? | parallel circuits |
| What are advantages to using parallel circuits in homes? | -multiple items can be turned on at once -every outlet has the same voltage |
| What happens when to many things are plugged into one outlet? | there are not enough amps to make things work so the wires begin to overheat and the breaker will stop the flow of electrons through the wire |
| short circuit | a circuit path with little to no resistance |
| fuses / circuit breakers | provide protection from the high amounts of current in a short circuit |
| How much current is allowed to flow through a circuit breaker without it stopping the current? | 15 to 20 amps |
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