Lessons

• 1 What Gives Matter A Charge?

• 2 How Does Electrical Energy Get Around?
• 3 How Do You Make Electricity Do What
You Want?
• 4 What’s the Best Pathway for Electrons?
 Lesson 1:
What Gives Matter a Charge?
In the activity “Opposites Attract, Likes Repel”
on pages 12-13, you made two observations:

 Objects with opposite charges (one negative,

one positive) will attract each other.
 Objects with like charges (both negative or
both positive) will repel each other.
You also learned that the build-up
of electrical charges in one place is
called STATIC ELECTRICITY.
Let’s see what else
you remember!
A particle with a positive charge
is called a/an _______________.

proton neutron
electron
A particle with a negative charge
is called a/an _______________.

proton neutron
electron
_________ means _________ means
to push away. to pull together.

charge charge

attract attract

repel repel
If an electrically-neutral object
GAINS electrons, what charge does
it now have?

positive neutral
negative
If an electrically-neutral object
LOSES electrons, what charge does
it now have?

positive neutral
negative
Static electricity is placed on an
object by _____________ such as
combing hair or rubbing a balloon
with a wool cloth.

currents contact
neutrons
 How did you do?

I did great! I understand

static electricity!
I’m getting there, but I’d
like some more practice.
Go on to Lesson 2
 Lesson 2:
What is the difference between
open and closed circuits?
 Click on a term to reveal its definition.

circuit

open closed
circuit circuit
Proceed to quiz
Circuit:
A closed-loop path of
conduction through which
an electric current flows
Open circuit:
An incomplete path that
will not permit an electric
current to flow
Closed circuit:
A complete path for electric
current
Quiz:
What type of circuit is shown in each
of the following examples?

Open Closed
circuit circuit
Open Closed
circuit circuit
Open Closed
circuit circuit
Open Closed
circuit circuit
Open Closed
circuit circuit
Now that you’re done, do you feel
like you understand the difference
between open and closed circuits?

Yes, I understand. No, I’d like

more practice.
Go on to Lesson 3
 Lesson 3:
How Do You Make Electricity
Do What You Want?
You have just completed the
“Will it Conduct?” activity on
pages 34-35. Let’s briefly review
what you learned!
Click on a term to reveal its definition and examples.

Insulator

Conductor
Continue
Insulator: a substance through which
electricity cannot flow readily

Examples…
wood plastic rubber
sulfur glass
 Conductor: a material through
which electrons can move easily

Examples…
brass aluminum copper
graphite water
Which of these items are conductors?
Which of these items are insulators?
Are you confident in your
understanding of conductors
and insulators?

Yes, I’m No, I’d like

confident. more practice.
Go on to Lesson 4
 Lesson 4:
What’s the Best Pathway
for Electrons?
You have learned that there
are two main types of circuits:

Parallel Series
and
Parallel circuits are circuits
with more than one pathway
through which electrons can
flow.

Series circuits are circuits

with only one pathway
through which electrons can
flow.
What type of circuits are shown
in the following examples?

parallel series
 Flashlight

parallel series
parallel series
 Home lighting

parallel series
 Holiday lights

parallel series
 Car headlights

parallel series
 Security systems

parallel series
How did you do? Were you
certain about your answers?

Yes, I knew No, I’d like

them. more practice.
 If you’d like to read more about
electricity, check these out!
 Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by his good mouse
Amos by Robert Lawson. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1939.
 Blinkers and Buzzers: Building and Experimenting with Electricity and
Magnetism by Bernie Zubrowski. New York: Morrow Junior Books, 1991.
 Simple Electrical Devices by Martin J. Gutnik. New York: Franklin Watts,
1986.
 Superconductivity: From Discovery to Breakthrough by Charlene W. Billings.
New York: Dutton, 1991.
 Wires and Watts: Understanding and Using Electricity by Irwin Math. New
York: Macmillan, 1981.