natural sciences 5

Electricity has always existed, but in the 18th century, scientists began studying it. Many inventions resulted from their research.

When did scientists discover electricity?

In the 19th and 20th centuries, Thomas Edison discovered many ways to produce and use electricity. His inventions, such as the electric light bulb, changed the way we live today.

What’s electricity?

Electricity is a form of energy. All matter is made up of microscopic atoms. Electricity is formed when a part of each atom, called an electron, moves from one atom to another.

What’s an atom made up of?

The nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons. The protons have a positive electric charge.

The electrons revolve around the nucleus. They have a negative electric charge.

Static electricity is the movement of electrons between two materials. Rubbing the balloon causes the electrons to move from the hair to the balloon. The balloon becomes negatively charged and the hair becomes positively charged. They attract so your hair stands on end.

What’s static electricity?

What’s electric current?

Electric current is the movement, or flow, of electrons between atoms.

Some types of matter have electrons that move easily from one atom to another. We call these electrical conductors, because electricity can flow easily through them. Metals are an example of electrical conductors.

What are electrical conductors?

Electricity and magnetism

When electric current flows through wires, a magnetic field is produced. This happens because negatively charged electrons are moving through the wire.

Simple circuit Series circuit Parallel circuit

What are the different types of circuits?

An electric circuit is a closed loop or circle. We need circuits because electricity will only flow if the circuit is closed. Electric circuits can be found in every machine that uses electricity.

How do we represent electrical circuits?

By using symbols, we can easily identify the components and the type of circuit.

Light bulb or lamp

Switch ‘on’

Switch ‘off’

WireBattery

How do does electricity get to our homes?

From the fuse box, the electricity travels through wires to all the light switches and sockets in our home.

Electricity is generated in power stations. From the power station, the electricity travels along big cables to our homes. At the place where electricity enters our house, there is a fuse box.

Before scientists discovered how to use electricity, people used candles or gas to light their homes. They cooked and heated water over a fire.

What would life be like without electricity?

Thomas Edison was an American inventor. In 1879, he invented the first light bulb that produced light for a long period of time. He also invented the phonograph, a machine that recorded sound and the kinetoscope, the first motion picture camera.

Who was Thomas Edison?

What have we learnt?

series circuit

parallel circuit

The three types of circuits are...

simple circuit

What have we learnt?

phonograph kinetoscopeelectric light bulbs

Thomas Edison invented...