5th Grade Science

Investigating Electricity and Magentism

Unit 4

Investigating Electricity and Magnetism

It's Electrifying!

We use electricity and magnetism every day, but how do they each work? How are they related?

There are two kinds of electricity: static electricity and electric currents. There are also two kinds of electric currents: direct (DC) and alternating (AC). Flowing electrons produce a magnetic field, and spinning magnets cause an electric current to flow.

Have you ever seen Gravity Falls? Here's Mabel using magnets to attract other objects around her!

Opposites Attract

A + charge and a - charge will pull toward each other.

Here's a good example of some heart magnets repelling!

Similars Repel

Two - charges or two + charges will push away from each other.

Static Electricity

Want To Learn More? This link provides good information about the different charges and static electricity. Check it out!

https://www.school-for-champions.com/science/static_forces.htm#.XxJxXPhKjUp

Before diving deeper into the great world of magnets, check out this cool experiment about magnets!

Electromagnetism

Electromagnetism is the interaction of these two important forces. Electricity and magnetism are very important and key to the workings of nearly every gadget, appliance, vehicle, and machine we use. Electromagnets are created by wrapping insulated wire around a nail and connecting both ends of the wire to the battery.

Electrical Energy

Electrical energy is from the flow of moving electrons. Electrons move through a path called a circuit. A circuit is a closed path along which an electric current travels. Electrical energy can produce other forms of energy such as thermal, sound, and light.

Circuits

Take a look at the four circuits to the right. Ever seen these in real life? Ask your parents, siblings, or friends if they've ever seen "open circuits" before! You'll be surprised at how often these are used in our every day lives!

For a fun, extra activity, try to find these circuits around your house and take a photo of them or write them down in a notebook! It will be a great topic to discuss later in the future.

Watch this super interesting video of Bill Nye the Science Guy demonstrating how electromagnets work!

In addition to the Bill Nye video, check this one out about circuits! It's very interesting to see some real ones in action.

Let's Play An Interactive Game!

Proton

Positively charged tiny particle found in the nucleus of the atom.

Neutron

Neutrally charged tiny particle found in the nucleus of the atom.

Electron

Negatively charged tiny particle found in the electron cloud of an atom.

Think you got it down? Try this Quizizz and replay as many times as you need until you get your highest score! If you don't feel confident about something, feel free to go back to this page and review the videos again!