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Alternating
current
Electric current that changes direction
continually. There are two kinds of current: alternating current and
direct current.
Amber
Gum or resin from fossilized trees. The word "electricity"
comes from the Greek word "elektron" meaning amber.
Ampere
The basic unit of measurement for electric
current.
Atom
The smallest particle of any element. Everything around us is made
of atoms.
Battery
A group of electric cells that provide electric current. A battery
is an example of a direct
current.
Capacitor
A device that stores electricity for future use.
Charge
A buildup of electricity that causes objects to push or pull.
There can be positive
charges and negative
charges. Sometimes there is no charge and it is called
a "neutral charge".
Circuit
A path electricity follows from a source through a connection to an
output device. For example: a circuit can be made from a battery through
a copper wire to a lightbulb and back to the battery.
Conductor
A substance through which electrical charges can easily flow.
Conduction happens when an electric
current passes between two points that are physically connected.
Some examples of good conductors are: wool, salt water, metals.
Coulomb
The unit of measurement of an electric charge.
Direct
Current
Electric current that flows in only one direction. A battery is
an example of direct current.
Electrical
Charge
The amount of electrical energy stored in a battery, capacitor,
or any insulated object that can hold energy for a time.
Electric
Current
A steady flow of electric charges through matter.
Electricity
A form of energy produced by the movement of electrons.
Energy
The ability to do work and produce power.
Electrons
Particles orbiting the outside of atoms. They carry a negative
charge.
Generator
A machine that produces electrical current by spinning a magnet
inside a coil of wire.
Hydroelectricity
The production of electricity by water power.
Insulator
A material through which electric charges cannot move. Some examples
of good insulators are: rubber, wool, and glass, plastic, and dry
air.
Negative
charge
A charge due to a buildup of electrons.
Positive
charge
A charge due to an absence of electrons.
Protons
A tiny particle in the nucleus of an atom. Protons have
a positive charge.
Static
electricity
The buildup or imbalance of the same charges. Static electricity
is at rest until discharged.
Switch
A device that opens or closes a circuit. This prevents or allows
a current to flow.
Transformer
A device that changes the intensity of electric current.
Voltage
The pressure behind the flow of electrons in a circuit.
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ELECTRICITY
GLOSSARY