Electricity and atoms

 Electricity 

What is Electricity?

Try to explain in your own words what electricity is, or how you experience it. Where do we see electricity? Can we ever hear electricity, what about feel it? 

We experience and interact with electricity every day, through static when we brush our hair, the heat from our homes, or lightening in the sky. Although the ways we see and understand electricity are all quite different, the basis of electricity is the same! 

Electricity studies the presence of stationary or moving charged particles. Charged particles such as protons and neutrons.  

Watch this video to learn about electricity!

What is an atom? 

Atoms are the building blocks of life. All matter is made up of atoms. Atoms have a nucleus and subatomic parts.

The nucleus of an atom is made of protons and neutrons. 

Protons have a positive electrical charge. 

Neutrons have no electrical charge. 

Electrons revolve around the nucleous. 

They have a negative electrical charge.

Electrical charge is a basic property of matter that relates to the balance between the electrons and protons in an object.  

When there is an equal amount of electrons and protons in an object that object is electrically neutral. 

When there is an uneven amount of electrons and protons in an object that object is electrically charged.

When there are more protons than electrons in an object that object is positively charged. 

When there are more electrons than protons in an object that object is negatively charged.  

Watch this video to understand more about atoms!

An electric current is the movement or flow of electrons between atoms. 

Some matter allows for electrons to flow easily from one atom to another, these are electric conductors. Some matter doesn't allow for easy flow of electrons from atom to atom, these are called electric insulators. 

Fill in the blanks below to test your knowledge of what we just learned!  

When there is an equal amount of electrons and protons in an object that object is electrically _________. 

When there is an uneven amount of electrons and protons in an object that object is electrically ________.

When there are more __________ than __________ in an object that object is positively charged. 

When there are more __________ than __________ in an object that object is negatively charged.