E LECTRICITY

A CTIVITY 1 On the paper provided create a cover page that shows at least ten ways that we use electricity every day.

A CTIVITY 2 Make a list about what you know about electricity. Make a list about what you would like to know about electricity. How will we find the answers to our electricity questions?

A CTIVITY 3 For one day, during school hours and at home, keep a record of every time we use electricity and for how long.

Bill Nye- Electricity 1. Part 1 Part 1 2. Part 2 Part 2 3. Part 3 Part 3

D ISCOVERING E LECTRICITY An ancient Greek scientist and philosopher named Thales ( BC) observed that amber attracted lightweight objects when rubbed.

In 1752, American Benjamin Franklin performed his famous kite- flying experiment and scientists finally began to uncover more about electricity.

Franklin’s experiment proved that lightning is electrical. He was able to charge a capacitor when the electricity flowed down the wet string from the thundercloud.

A CTIVITY – H ISTORY OF E LECTRICITY Use your text book to discover two other important scientists who contributed to our understanding of electricity. Write a sentence or two about these five important people in the history of electricity. Be sure to include names, where they are from, and how they contributed to what we know about electricity.

E LECTRICITY S AFETY AT H OME Electricity is a very useful form of energy, but it can be very dangerous if it isn’t used properly.  Water and electricity do not mix. When your hands are wet or you are near a water source you should never touch electrical switches or use electrical devices.

Electricity can travel through water at incredible speeds. When you need to use electronic devices near water make sure they are battery powered.

Cords that are frayed or cracked are very dangerous. Do not use electrical devices with exposed wire or damaged cords.

Cleaning electrical devices should only be done after they are unplugged.

Plugging too many electrical devices into one wall socket can overload fuses and can even start a fire.

Make sure all electrical devices are CSA approved. CSA stands for Canadian Standards Agency, a group responsible for setting safety rules for electrical devices. Check an electrical device in this classroom to see if it is CSA approved.

P ROJECT Use a blank sheet of paper and create a poster that promotes electrical safety for the school. This poster will be placed throughout the school to help remind others about electrical safety. Be sure to colour your pictures and check spelling. Posters will be marked on neatness, effort and relevance to electrical safety.

W HAT IS E LECTRICITY L AB Page 10 in Turn it on text book. What did you learn?

In the last lab we created static electricity by rubbing a balloon on our hair. The balloon and our hair had a different electric charge. Electricity has two different charges: positive and negative. Think of a battery, they have a positive and a negative end.

Charges that are the same push each other away, or repel one another. Charges that are different attract one another. Objects can get charged because tiny particles called electrons can move from one object to another.

We can make objects gain or lose electrons. If an object gains electrons it become negatively charged because electrons have a small negative charge. If an object loses electrons it gets a positive charge. The strength of the charge of an object depends on how many electrons are gained or lost.

Think back to our last science lab again. When the balloons repelled each other did they have a similar charge or a negative charge? When the balloons attracted one another did they have a similar charge or a negative charge?

If we give a balloon a static charge and then rub out hand over it what will happen? Did our hand gain or lose any electrons?

W HAT IS ELECTRICITY ? Electricity is a form of energy produced by a current of electrons that flow quickly through a wire or other object. Electricity can be used to produce light, heat and sound.

M AKE E LECTRICITY How Can You Make Electricity Lab – pg 12

H OW B ATTERIES W ORK In the previous lab we created a voltaic battery. The two metal pieces that we used to transfer the electric current are called electrodes. The liquid that the electrodes were put in must contain an electrolyte. An electrolyte is a substance that can conduct electricity.

The electrolyte in the lemon is the acidic juices.

The lemon battery works in the same way a regular battery works. One electrode collects electrons and the other electrode loses electrons. When you connect both electrodes to a light bulb you create a circuit that allows the electric current to flow.

Some batteries are called “dry cell” batteries because they contain a paste rather than a liquid. Look at the picture of the flashlight on page 13. Can you see how the current can flow from the batteries to the light bulb and back again? Draw a diagram of a circuit in your notebook. Be sure to label the parts and the flow of electricity.

ACTIVITY Read page 17 and 19 of your text book. Pick out 2 important points or interesting facts. Find someone else and share your findings. If your partner has something different then what you have, add that fact/point to your list and move onto a new classmate. You need to speak with at least 4 other classmates before the end of class.