electricity and magnetism
by: Jake S.
I based this web page on the Georgia Performance Standard below.
S5P3. Students will investigate the electricity, magnetism and their relationship.
a. Investigate static electricity.
b. Determine the necessary components for completing an electric circuit.
c. Investigate common materials to determine if they are insulators or conductors of
electricity.
d. Compare a bar magnet to an electromagnet.
Brains give off tiny amounts of electricity.
What's the difference between electricity and magnetism?
Welcome to my web page! You will be learning about different kinds of electricity and magnetism. Here is a list of things you will learn about: magnets and electromagnets, static electricity, circuits, insulators and conductors. I hope you learn a lot and enjoy it. Please have a shockingly good time researching, no matter what it is for.
Most kinds of metal have iron, nickel or cobalt, which is attracted to magnets.
Magnets and electromagnets...
what's the difference?
Well, (well is a deep subject,) a magnet is made of an iron ore called magnetite. An electromagnet is a type of magnet that is run by electricity. Electromagnets usually have a cylinder shaped iron core. Both magnets and electromagnets own the power to attract iron, nickel, and cobalt. Magnets also attract the rock hematite because it is made from some of those metals. As you can see, they are similar and different.
click here for a hyperlink about magnets
Lightning is made of static electricity.
STATIC ELECTRICITY
Static electricity is made when two objects rub together. Would you believe that lightning is made of static electricity? Static electricity is either positively charged or negatively charged. It is the movement of protons and electrons between objects. If you rub a balloon on your shirt, static electricity will force your hair to go towards the balloon. If you put your head up to the television early in the morning, you will feel static electricity.
click here for a link to a website about static electricity
MAGNETIC MACHINES
There are a multitude of machines using magnets. You may not know that most of your everyday appliances involve the use of magnets. A video cassette recorder (VCR) uses weak magnets to collect information from the tape. The computer you are looking at even uses magnets for the sound system. There are even more places to find magnets. If you take a magnet and put it near electronics, it might temporarily mess them up because it interferes with the magnets in them.
CIRCUITS
Circuits need a power source to give electricity, a wire to control the electricity, and something to receive the electricity [like a light bulb.] Without circuits there would be no calculators, lights, or any other electronics. Circuits are made by connecting wires to the positive and negative sides of the power source and attaching the other sides of the wires to the object receiving the electricity. You can make a circuit with a battery, two pieces of wire, and a light bulb.
click here or here for a website about circuits
Insulators and conductors are an important part of circuitry. Electricity can flow in a conductor, but not in an insulator. Without conductors there would be no circuits because no electricity could flow. That would mean no light bulbs! Circuits cannot exist without insulators and conductors.
click here for a hyperlink about insulators and conductors
Insulators vs. conductors
|
Insulators |
Conductors |
|
rubber is a great insulator |
graphite is just barely a conductor |
|
dirt is an insulator too |
metals are excellent conductors |
|
plastic is another insulator |
water is also an excellent conductor |
A SHOCKING DISCOVERY!
Benjamin Franklin discovered what electricity can do. He probably didn't know how his discovery would change the world. Ben tied a key to a kite and flew it during a thunderstorm. I'm sure it hurt, but that was a very important shock! He did this because of a theory he had. He believed that lightning was electricity! Not very many people believed him before he tried this. Without his discovery we would not have anything run by electricity. He also put lightning rods on his house. Ben made an electricity generating machine too. If you want to learn more about Ben Franklin, I suggest a book called Ben and Me.
Are you afraid of the dark?
Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb. It took over six hundred tries! Of course, as you might have figured out by now, Thomas had to realize that he needed to involve circuits and electricity. Edison's invention started even more research on electricity. His invention is what lights up your computer screen. It is also needed to direct traffic. You can't go a day without light bulbs. You should know that light bulbs have a vacuum, or no air, inside so it doesn't burn out. They have a long lasting filament inside that lights up when electricity travels through it. Light bulbs are more complicated than you may have thought.
REALLY, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM?
Electricity and magnetism are very different. Magnetism attracts things that are magnetic, electricity can generate magnetism but not alone. Electricity is a good power source. Magnets cannot generate electric power. Magnetism and electricity are very different. I hope you enjoyed my web page and learned a lot of information!
