Unit Summary

Use the following table to review what you have learned in this unit.



Questions

Summary


  1. What are electricity and magnetism, and how can they be used safely?

      2. 1.1 What is electricity?

      1.2 What is magnetism, and how is it related to electricity?

      1.3 What are the dangers of electricity, and how can it be used safely?

  • Electricity is made of flowing electrons.
  • Each electron has a negative charge and is attracted to a positive or neutral charge.
  • Current is the flow of electrons.
  • Voltage is the energy carried by electrons.
  • Permanent magnets and electromagnets produce magnetic fields.
  • Electricity flowing through a wire produces a magnetic field.
  • Short circuits occur when electricity flows where it is not intended.
  • Batteries should never be connected in a dead short.

  1. How can electricity be controlled and used?

      2. 2.1 How is the electricity we use daily measured and paid for?

      2.2 Do all materials allow electricity to flow through them?

      2.3 How can we understand, design, and control electrical pathways?

      2.4 How can we change circuits to control the amount of electricity that flows?

  • Electrical devices turn electricity into various energy types.
  • Electrical meters measure the electricity used by a home.
  • EnerGuide labels allow shoppers to choose efficient appliances.
  • Materials that let electricity flow are conductors; materials that do not are insulators.
  • Resistors in circuits turn electrical energy into other forms.
  • Circuits are made of a power source, wire conductors, and loads.
  • Loads use electric energy in a circuit.
  • A power source energizes electrons in a circuit.
  • Switches are used to control electric current.
  • Push-button switches are safety switches that must be held in the "on" position; toggle switches can be set as "on" or "off".
  • Circuit symbols are used to represent all the items you find in circuits and to draw circuit diagrams.
  • Circuits with more than one loop have more than one pathway for current to flow.

  1. How can we use electrical circuits to build devices?

      2. 3.1 How can electrical technology be used to build devices and solve problems?

  • Electric motors change electric energy into energy of motion.
  • Electric motors work due to magnetic fields pushing against each other.
  • Electric motors are used in many electric devices.