Electrical Energy Activity 2: Electric Charge, Electric Forces, & Electric Circuits

Essential Questions Why do like charges create static electricity? How can electric forces move charges to create energy?

Main Ideas There are two kinds of charge, (+) charge and (-) charge that exert electric forces on each other. There are huge numbers of charges in all objects. Objects can be electrically neutral or electrically charged. If an object is electrically charged, it has an excess of either positive or negative charge.

Main Ideas Cont. Batteries are the sources of electrical energy in circuits. Moving charges carry electrical energy to the light bulbs, motors, or other devices in a circuit.

Important Information It is possible for a charged object to exert an electric force on an electrically neutral object. When there are more (-) charges than (+) charges in an object it is called negatively charged.

Important Ideas Cont. Negative charges can move freely throughout materials called electrical conductors. The motion of negative charges is several limited in other materials, called electrical insulators. Positive charges cannot move in solids. The bulbs, motors and other devices in a circuit use the electrical energy by changing it to other forms of energy (light, heat, motion, etc.)

Vocabulary Magnetic Force: When a magnet pushes or pulls on an object that has iron in it. Electric Force: When materials that are not magnets are able to push or pull on each other with out touching.

Challenge Questions How are electric charge and electric energy different? What is the “job” of electric charge in a circuit? Where does the electric charge get electric energy?

What do I do? Read Activity 2 Packet Watch Static Electricity clip. Do Activity Chucky the Charge! Investigation Reflection Summary of the Activity Investigating Further Essential Questions Review

Were You Good??? Let’s do something fun!!!