Changing Circuits*Electricity

Standard

Students will understand features of static and current electricity and that electricity

is a form of energy

Review

*Examples of Static Electricity

• Laundry sticking together • Hair standing up after jumping on a

trampoline• Combing or brushing clean dry hair• Getting “shocked” by someone• Shuffling across carpet • Lightning

* How do you know static electricity is present

• A crackling sound

• A spark can be seen and felt

• Items cling together

Lightning is a giant spark of static electricity thatforms in the clouds. Lightning is caused by the

movementof positive and negative charges toward one another.

During a storm the particles in a cloud become statically charged by the action of the wind blowing

Them around the cloud. The stronger source of static electricity moves towards the weaker source causing

the flash that we see as lightning.

What is Lightning?

What holds a static charge?

Metal, Wood and Glass

Plastic and Rubber

What does not hold a static charge?

What holds a week attraction?

Tissue Paper, Glitter, Sawdust, Paper Dots, Puffed

Rice

Erasers, Yarn, Pins, Paperclips

What holds a strong attraction?

Does everything hold a static charge?

No

*Definitions

Static Electricity:Builds charges in one place

Current Electricity:A discharge of electricity that

moves along a pathway

*Definitions

Incomplete Circuit:A piece not connected – the light is

off

Complete Circuit:A finished circuit with every pieceattached – the light is on

*Definitions

Power Source:The source of electricity = battery

Pathway:The path the electricity follows = wire

*Definitions

Load:Uses the electricity = light bulb

Switch:Opens and closes the pathway =

switch

*Illustrate the Circuit

 

*Illustrate and Label a Switch

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

__________________________

________________________________

load

pathway

pathway

switchpower source

Changing Circuits*Electricity

*Experiment Time

Power Source

*Power Source

How does changing the power source affect the circuit?

The more batteries there are, the brighter the light

*Experiment Time

Pathway Source

*Pathway Source

How does changing the pathway affect the circuit?

The more wires there are, the light doesn’t change

*Experiment Time

Load Source

*Load Source

How does changing the load affect the circuit?

The more bulbs there are, dimmer the light

*Experiment Time

Switch Source

*Switch Source

How does changing the switch affect the circuit?

All switches have to be in the on position in order for the light to

turn on

What We Learned

We learned how changing the power source, load,

pathway and adding switches affect the flow of electricity