Electric charge: A property of matter that can be positive or negative
Like charges: Repel each other
Opposite charges: Attract each other
Proton charge: Positive
Electron charge: Negative
Neutron charge: None; neutral
Static electricity: Charge that builds up on an object
Example of static electricity: A balloon sticking to your hair after rubbing
Lightning: A huge spark of static electricity in clouds
Current: The flow of electric charge
Voltage: The push that moves charge in a circuit
Resistance: How much a material resists current
Circuit: A complete path for electricity
Open circuit: A circuit with a break, so no current flows
Closed circuit: A complete loop where current flows
Series circuit: Parts connected in one path; if one breaks all stop
Parallel circuit: Parts connected on separate paths; if one breaks others keep working
Switch: A device that opens or closes a circuit
Battery: A source that provides electrical energy from chemical reactions
Cell: One unit of a battery
Wire: A thin strand of metal that carries current
Conductor: A material that lets current flow easily
Insulator: A material that blocks current
Examples of conductors: Copper, silver, aluminum and water with salt
Examples of insulators: Rubber, plastic, glass and wood
Fuse: A safety part that melts and breaks the circuit if the current is too high
Circuit breaker: A switch that shuts off a circuit when it carries too much current
Ground: A path that carries extra current safely into the Earth
Alternating current (AC): Current that changes direction back and forth; used in homes
Direct current (DC): Current that flows one way; from batteries
Generator: A device that turns motion into electricity
Transformer: A device that changes the voltage of AC
Resistor: A part that limits the current in a circuit
Capacitor: A part that stores electric charge
Diode: A part that lets current flow one way
Transistor: A tiny switch or amplifier in electronics
Semiconductor: A material, like silicon, that conducts better than an insulator but less than a metal
Magnet: An object that attracts iron and has a north and south pole
Magnetic pole: The end of a magnet where force is strongest
Like poles: Repel
Opposite poles: Attract
Magnetic field: The region around a magnet where its force acts
Magnetic materials: Iron, nickel and cobalt
Compass: Needle magnet that points to Earth's magnetic north
Earth's magnetic field: Produced by moving molten iron in the outer core
Electromagnet: A magnet made by running current through a coil, often around an iron core
Electromagnetic induction: Making current by changing a magnetic field near a wire
Who discovered electromagnetic induction in 1831?: Michael Faraday
Who showed in 1820 that electric current creates a magnetic field?: Hans Christian Oersted
Who flew a kite in a storm in a famous experiment?: Benjamin Franklin
Who invented the practical light bulb in 1879?: Thomas Edison
Who built the first battery around 1800?: Alessandro Volta
Aurora: Glowing lights where charged particles from the Sun hit Earth's atmosphere near the poles
Electric motor: A device that turns electricity into motion
Solenoid: A coil of wire that makes a magnetic field when current flows
Short circuit: An unplanned path with low resistance that can cause too much current
Why should you never put a fork in a socket?: Metal conducts electricity and can cause serious harm
Staying safe in a storm: Go indoors and stay away from windows and water
Why are power lines high up?: To keep the dangerous electricity away from people

Free flashcards from Peabody at peabody.kids/flashcards/phys-electricity-magnetism