Lesson 1: Atoms and Electricity

Vocabulary practice flashcards based on the Year 9 Atoms and Electricity lecture, covering subatomic particles, atomic charge, static electricity, electric currents, conductors, insulators, and circuit fundamentals.

Electricity

The movement of electric charge that transfers energy from a power source to electrical devices, carried by electrons in metal wires.

Atom

The tiny building block that makes up all matter.

Model of the Atom

A structural model showing a central nucleus of protons and neutrons surrounded by electron shells.

Nucleus

The small and dense core of an atom that contains protons and neutrons and holds almost all the mass of the atom.

Proton

A subatomic particle located in the nucleus that carries a positive electrical charge ($+$). Every atom must contain at least $1$ proton.

Neutron

A subatomic particle found in the nucleus that carries no electrical charge and is neutral.

Electron

A tiny particle carrying a negative electrical charge ($-$) that spins around the nucleus and acts as the main particle involved in electricity.

Neutral Atom

An atom that has no overall charge because its numbers of protons and electrons are equal, balancing each other out.

Ion

A charged atom that forms when electrons are removed or added, causing the numbers of protons and electrons to be unequal.

Positive Ion

An ion formed when electrons are removed from an atom, resulting in more protons than electrons and giving it a positive charge ($+$).

Negative Ion

An ion formed when electrons are added to an atom, resulting in more electrons than protons and giving it a negative charge ($-$).

Static Electricity

The build-up of electric charge on a surface, most commonly caused by rubbing one surface against another.

Spark or Lightning Bolt

The rapid conversion of electrical energy into heat, light, sound, and motion (kinetic energy) released all in one go when electrons jump back to a positively charged surface.

Electric Current

The movement of electrons together through a material or along a wire.

Electrical Energy

Energy associated with electric charge, which can be stationary (static) or moving (current).

Rules of Electrostatics

The fundamental principles stating that like charges repel, unlike charges attract, and charged objects attract neutral objects.

Conductor

A material through which charged particles are able to move easily, such as copper wire.

Insulator

A material that does not allow the movement of charged particles, such as plastic coating.

Electric Circuit

The path that electrons travel along to deliver their energy.

Components of a Simple Circuit

An energy source to supply electrons with movement energy, an energy user to convert the energy, and a conductor to connect everything together.

Closed Circuit vs. Open Circuit

A closed circuit provides a complete, unbroken loop allowing electric current to flow, whereas an open circuit has a break in the loop that stops current flow.