ELECTRICITY UNIT - VOCABULARY

ELECTRICITY - VOCAB TERMS & DEFINITIONS

Ampere - The ampere is the standard unit of measure of electric current. It is sometimes written as amp. 

Alternating current (AC) - An electric current that reverses direction on a periodic basis. It is widely used to transport power on power lines. 

Battery - A device that stores and produces electricity from chemical cells.  A battery has chemicals inside it. The battery is linked to a circuit. Then the chemicals inside the battery react together. This pushes a flow of electrons around the circuit.



Capacitor - A basic electrical component that stores electric charge. Capacitors are made from two electrical conductors separated by an insulator. 

Closed Circuit - circuit in which an electric current can flow from the power source to an object &  back to the power source in an unbroken pathsimple closed circuit

Conductivity - ability of an object to conduct or transmit heat, electricity, or sound


Conductor - material that can allow heat, light, sound, or electricity to pass through it easily.

• Example:  Metal is a good conductor of heat & electricity because it transmits them so easily (A material that allows the free flow of electric charge. Copper wiring is the most widely used electrical conductor.)

Coulomb's law - A law of physics that describes the electrostatic interaction between charged particles. 

Current electricity - the flow of electrons through a continuous path, or loop, from a power source & back to the power source. 

Diode - An electronic component that only allows current flow in one direction. 

Direct current (DC) - A type of current that only flows in one direction (unlike AC which periodically reverses direction). 
Dry cell battery - batteries that use paste-like chemicals to produce electricity

• Example:  used to power watches, toys, remote controls, portable radios, cell phones, calculators, flashlights

• some dry cell batteries can be recharged

Electric charge - This is a basic characteristic of matter that is based on the balance of protons (positive charge) and electrons (negative charge). The standard unit for electric charge is the coulomb. 

Electric circuit - An electric circuit is a collection of electronic components connected by a conductive wire that allows for electric current to flow. 

Electric current - Electric current is the flow of electric charge through a material. The standard unit for electric current is the ampere. 


Electricity - form of energy produced when electrons move, or flow, from one atom to another atom.  There are two types of electricity - static electricity & current electricity.


Electric potential - The electric potential is the difference in electrical charge between two points in a circuit. It is also called the voltage. The standard unit for electric potential is volts. 

Electromagnetism - The interaction between magnetic fields and electric currents. 

Electron - A basic subatomic particle found in all atoms, electrons carry electricity by flowing from one atom to the next in a conductive material. 

Insulator - A material in which electronic charge does not flow freely and does not conduct the flow of electric current, heat, light, or sound.

• Example:  Rubber is a good insulator for both electricity & heatIf one light bulb (or resistor) is turned off or breaks, the current will follow the other path.

Magnetic field - The magnetic influence produced by electric currents and magnetic materials. 

Ohm - The standard unit of measure for resistance. 

Ohm's law - A law of physics that describes the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance using the equation V = IR. 

Open Circuit - circuit in which an electric current cannot flow from the power source to an object & back to the power source
caused by a break in the circuit; switch is turned off & electric current is stopped at the switch                                                                     

Parallel Circuit - electric circuit that has more than one path for the current to follow.

In a parallel circuit, electricity can pass along different paths to power different loads.

Pole - the ends of a battery (positive pole & negative pole) & a magnets (north & south pole). 

Resistance - measure of how much a materiel slows down or stops electricity.  measured in ohms
Example:  Rubber has higher resistance so it is a poor conductor of electricity.  Copper has low resistance so it is a good conductor of electricity.
Calculating Resistance
Use the formula R = V/I

R = resistance (ohms)
V = voltage (volts)
I = current (amps)

Resistor - A basic electronic component that prevents the flow of electric current. 

Semiconductor - A material that behaves between a conductor and an insulator depending on the conditions. Silicon is a widely used semiconductor in electronics. 

Series Circuit - electric circuit that has only one path for the current to follow.  If one light bulb (or resistor) is turned off or breaks, the path is broken & the current will stop.

A series circuit has only one path of electricity. It provides power for more than one electrical load.

Static electricity - The build up of an electric charge on the surface of an object. The charge remains in one area rather than flowing to another area.  Rubbing together two objects made of different materials can produce static electricity.

• Example:  static electricity can be produce when a latex balloon is rubbed on a wool sweater.  Lightning 

Transformer - An electrical component that transfers electrical energy using inductive coupling between two winding circuits. 

Transistor - A semiconductor device used in an electric circuit to regulate current flow to act as a gate, switch, or amplifier for electronic signals. 

Volt - The standard unit of measure for electric potential (voltage). 

Voltage - Voltage is the name for the electric force that causes electrons to flow. It's the measure of potential difference between two points in the circuit. Voltage may come from a battery or a power plant.
Watt - The standard unit of measure used for electric power. 
Wet cell battery - batteries that use liquid chemicals to produce electricity 

• Example:  used in cars, trucks, & large construction equipment to provide power to start engines

They are usually about twice the size of a shoe box.

Wet-cell batteries contain lead and a solution of sulfuric acid.

Conductors and insulators - Conductors are materials that allow electricity to flow easily. Most types of metal are good conductors, which is why we use metal for electrical wire. Copperis a good conductor and isn't too expensive, so it's used a lot for the wiring in homes today. Insulators are the opposite of conductors. An insulator is a material that doesn't carry electricity. Insulators are important because they can protect us from electricity. Materials like rubber, plastic, and paper are good insulators.
ELECTRIC VOCAB TERM - ACTIVITY

ROAD SALT

VIRTUAL DENSITY LAB

COMPLETE THE DENSITY LAB -
PUT YOUR SCORE ON NOTEBOOK PAPER & PLACE IN DRAWER

SCIENTIFIC METHOD GLOSSARY

SCIENTIFIC METHOD GLOSSARY

Term	Definition
Conclusion	The solution or answer to a problem. The conclusion is what the scientist has learned about the problem through experimentation.
Controlled variable	A variable that must remain the same in all situations. Controlled variables are all of the things in an experiment that must remain the same.
Data	Pieces of information that a scientist will gather and look at. Data consists of information collected through research, experiments, and observations. Conclusions can be made based on data.
Data table	A T-shaped diagram that displays raw data from an experiment. It includes a manipulated and responding variable.
Experiment	A test or trial used to gain knowledge or to test a theory.
Graph	A diagram consisting of lines, bars, or circles to represent information. Science fair experiments usually require line graphs.
Hypothesis	A reasonable or educated guess. It is what a scientist thinks will happen in an experiment. Hypotheses are based on observations, research, and what is already known about the subject.
Log book	A notebook in which a scientist writes all of his or her notes about the experiment. All students who complete a science fair project must have a log book.
Manipulated variable	A variable that is deliberately or intentionally changed by the scientist in an experiment.
Metric measurement	A system of measurement that scientists use. Length is measured in meters, weight is measured in grams, volume is measured in liters, and temperature is measured in degrees Celsius.
Observation	The use of the five senses (seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or touching) to collect information.
Operational definition	The way a scientist measures variables. The operational definition explains specifically how each variable will be measured (hours, degrees, meters, liters, grams, decibels, etc.)
Ordered pairs	Number data that shows a relationship between the manipulated and responding variables. For example, if you gave a plant 10 ml of water each day, and the plant grew a total of 15 cm, then the ordered pair would be (10, 15).
Problem	Something that needs to be solved. Problems are usually questions that scientists ask about science topics.
Procedures	A methodical, logical way of doing something. Procedures include directions or plans, listed step by step.
Qualitative data	Sensory (sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste) information that is used to draw conclusions.
Quantitative data	Numerical (number) information that is used to draw conclusions.
Raw data	The initial quantitative information that a scientist gets while conducting an experiment. All raw data is written in a data table in the scientist's log book.
Responding variable	A variable that changes as a result of the manipulation of another variable. The responding variable is not changed intentionally, rather, it changes because of what the scientist changed intentionally.
Scientific Method	A logical way of solving problems. Scientists use this method to gather and test information. There are seven steps to the scientific method: Identify a problem Create a hypothesis Design an experiment Conduct the experiment Collect data Graph data Draw conclusions
Variable	Something that can change or "vary" in a situation.
X axis	The horizontal line at the bottom of a graph. The manipulated variable is always written on the x axis of a graph.
Y axis	The vertical line on the left side of a graph. The responding variable is always written on the y axis of a graph.

FLOAT A BOAT - EXPERIMENT

CAREFULLY read the float a boat experiment packet.

SUBMARINES

boyle's law

Submarines: History - How They Work - Introduction

buoyancy experiment

CARTESIAN DIVER EXPERIMENT

DISPLACEMENT

DISPLACEMENT

click on the highlighted link.  answers added to notebook paper.  

DENSITY TRIANGLE???

The density triangle is a trick that will tell which formula to use in order to find the density, mass, or volume when you have the other two.

What does it look like?

The density triangle is a triangle that is split into three sections. 

• Density, which is symbolized by the letter "D," is in the left bottom section
• Mass, which is symbolized by the letter "M," is on the top
• Volume, which is symbolized by the letter "V", is on the bottom right.

Write the letters D, M, and V in the triangle in the order that you reach each section as you go from left to right. The diagram below will show you how this is done.

How do we use it?

To use the DMV Triangle, after you have set it up, simply cover the item that you want to find and you have to formula!!! Below are a few demonstrations.

Start with the DMV Triangle:

To find the formula for "Density," cover up the "D" (as shown below).

This leaves the the "M" over the "V," giving you the formula "M/V." Therefore, the fomula is D = M/V
To find the formula for "Volume," cover up the "V" (as shown below).

This leaves the the "M" over the "D," giving you the formula "M/D." Therefore, the formula is V = M/D.
To find the formula for "Mass," cover up the "M" (as shown below).


This leaves the the "D" over the "V," giving you the formula "D x V."  Therefore, the formula is M = D x V.

Why would we want to use this?

By using this trick, you never have to remember any of the actual formulas. All you have to do is remember "DMV." Since the Department of Motor Vehicles. The trick is knowing where each letter goes, but, once you have that down, each of the formulas can be seen easily, without a chance of error.

SCIENCE NEWS - STUDENT PROJECT

SCIENCE NEWS

Since the start of the school year we have done a wide-range of SCIENCE NEWS to help us learn about the happenings in our world from the incredible people who research, develop, and change our lives with science.

You will research, design, & present a SCIENCE NEWS.

·       Topic:   must have current & detailed research on your science topic of your choice.

·       Format:  must enhance the presentation of facts (video, brochure, graphics, power point, Glogster, hands-on demonstration, audio, ETC…

·       Presentation:  must engage & inform your audience.  Facts delivered must be clear & informative

·       Time:  You will be allowed a maximum of 3 minutes to present your science news. 

          Vocabulary terms:  you must add all new terms with definitions in your presentation

·          You must have your topic approved by me before you begin

·             You must sign up for a date for your presentation

                           see hand out for further details