Electricity!Electricity!

What is electricity?What is electricity?

What is electricity?What is electricity?

Electricity is a form of energy.Electricity is a form of energy.

Electricity can make things light up, move, Electricity can make things light up, move, make sound, heat up.make sound, heat up.

Electricity is a form of energy.Electricity is a form of energy. So, what is energy? So, what is energy?

Energy is Energy is the ability to do work.the ability to do work.

A CD player uses energy when it creates A CD player uses energy when it creates sound. An oven uses energy when it sound. An oven uses energy when it cooks a pizza. cooks a pizza.

Where does electricity come from?Where does electricity come from?

Atoms!Atoms! Matter is made of small particles called Matter is made of small particles called

atoms.atoms. Atoms are too small to be seen.Atoms are too small to be seen. Atoms are made up of 3 sub-atomic particles:Atoms are made up of 3 sub-atomic particles:

- - protonsprotons

- - neutronsneutrons

-electrons-electrons

Charges of particles in an atomCharges of particles in an atom

In the center of an atom In the center of an atom is the nucleus.is the nucleus.

The nucleus contains The nucleus contains protonsprotons and and neutrons.neutrons.

Protons carry a Protons carry a ++ charge. charge. NeutronsNeutrons are neutral; are neutral;

they carry no charge.they carry no charge. Electrons spin around the Electrons spin around the

nucleus in orbitals.nucleus in orbitals. Electrons carry a -Electrons carry a - chargecharge

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility - Office of Science Education. Bohr Model of a Nitrogen Atom. 7 January 2008 <http://education.jlab.org/qa/atom_model.html>.

How do charged objects behave?How do charged objects behave?

You may have heard the You may have heard the saying “opposites attract.”saying “opposites attract.”

Well, it is true with charges!Well, it is true with charges!

This attraction of (-) to This attraction of (-) to (+)(+) causes electrons to move!causes electrons to move!

An example is…An example is…

As you walk across a rug you rub electrons off of As you walk across a rug you rub electrons off of the rug.the rug.

These electrons are stored in your body, making These electrons are stored in your body, making you carry a (-) charge.you carry a (-) charge.

When you touch a doorknob these electrons will When you touch a doorknob these electrons will move to the more move to the more (+)(+) knob.knob.

You feel this movement as a shock!You feel this movement as a shock!

Another example…Another example…

The movement of The movement of electrons electrons heatsheats the the

filament in a light bulb filament in a light bulb and it glows!and it glows!

elvis_payne. Inside a 40 watt light bulb. 7 January 2008 <http://www.flickr.com/photos/elvispayne/281416459/>.

So, in summary…what is So, in summary…what is electricity?electricity?

ElectricityElectricity is a form of energy consisting of is a form of energy consisting of electrons (-) that move. This energy is electrons (-) that move. This energy is capable of doing work for us.capable of doing work for us.