electricity and magnetism

ammeter

A device for measuring electric current in a circuit.

amps

Units of measurement of electric current, symbol A.

atom

A neutral particle; everything is made of atoms.

attract

Be pulled together, for example, opposite poles of a magnet attract and positive and negative charges attract.

battery

Two or more electrical cells joined together.

cell

A chemical store of energy, which provides the push that moves charge around a circuit.

conductor

A material that conducts charge or energy well, such as a metal or graphite.

core

A rod of a magnetic material placed inside a coil to make the magnetic field of an electromagnet stronger.

current

The flow of electrical charge (electrons) around a complete circuit per second.

electric charge

A property of a material or particle that can be positive or negative.

electrical field

A region where a charged material or particle experiences a force.

electromagnet

A temporary magnet produced using an electric current.

electron

A negatively charged particle found in atoms. Electrons flow through a wire when a current flows.

insulator

A material that does not conduct electricity or transfer energy well.

lightning

A current through the air that produces light and sound.

magnetic field

A region where there is a force on a magnet or magnetic material.

magnetic field lines

Imaginary lines that show the direction of the force on magnetic material.

magnetic material

A material that is attracted to a magnet, such as iron, steel, nickel, or cobalt.

magnetise

Make into a magnet.

motor

A component or machine that spins when a current flows through it.

negative

The charge on an electron, or on an object that has had electrons transferred to it.

neutral

Describes an object or particle that has no charge, or in which positive and negative charges cancel out, giving no charge overall.

neutron

A neutral particle found in atoms.

north pole

The pole of a magnet that points towards the north.

ohms

The unit of resistance, symbol Ω.

parallel

A circuit in which there are two or more paths or branches for the current.

positive

The charge on a proton, or on an object that has had electrons transferred from it.

potential difference

A measure of the push of a cell or battery, or the energy that the cell or battery can supply.

proton

A positively charged particle found in atoms.

rating

The value of potential difference at which a cell or bulb operates.

repel

Be pushed away from each other, for example, like magnetic poles repel or like electrical charges repel.

resistance

How difficult it is for current to flow through a component in a circuit.

series

A circuit in which components are joined in a single loop.

south pole

The pole of a magnet that points towards the south.

switch

A component that controls the current by making or breaking the circuit.

voltage

A measure of the strength of a cell or battery used to send a current around a circuit.

voltmeter

A device for measuring voltage.

volts

Units of measurement of voltage, symbol V.