The Shocking Truth about Electricity

No invention on earth has changed our lives more and been more misunderstood than the power of electricity. We are going to learn more about this powerful source of energy and crack a few of the myths that have evolved.

Enrichment

There have been many myths that have developed over the years to explain electricity and through this unit we are going to examine some of these myths and learn the truth! Over this week we will:

Learn about basic electricity both static and current

Create a visual about how we experience both current and static electricity in our lives.

Review Scientific Method by experimenting with what is the best conductor of electricity.

Graphing the results of our scientific experiment with conduction and creating a lab report.

One form of electricity that forms naturally is static electricity. Read on to learn more about it!

Everything we see is made up of tiny particle of energy called atoms. The atoms are made of even smaller parts. These are called protons, electrons and neutrons. They are very different from each other in many ways. One way they are different is their "charge." Protons have a positive (+) charge. Electrons have a negative (-) charge. Neutrons have no charge. Particles which have opposite electrical charges are attracted to each other, causing the particles of the atom to stay together. Electrons are said to orbit around the larger nucleus of the atom. Sometimes these orbits are not circular but irregular in shape due to the electron pull towards the nucleus of the atom and against the other elements. Scientists sometimes refer to these energy levels as electron clouds. A reoccurring myth about static electricity is that it is created by rubbing two objects together. This is just not true! Static electricity is caused when an electron "jumps ship" from one atom to another causing a burst of energy. This energy is static electricity.

Usually, atoms have the same number of electrons and protons. Then the atom has no charge, it is "neutral." But if you rub things together, electrons can move from one atom to another. Some atoms get extra electrons. They have a negative charge. Other atoms lose electrons. They have a positive charge. When charges are separated like this, it is called static electricity.

If two things have different charges, they attract, or pull towards each other. If two things have the same charge, they repel, or push away from each other.

So, why does your hair stand up after you take your hat off? When you pull your hat off, it rubs against your hair. Electrons move from your hair to the hat. Now each of the hairs has the same positive charge. Things with the same charge repel each other. So the hairs try to move away from each other. The farthest they can get is to stand up and away from all the other hairs.

If you walk across a carpet, electrons move from the rug to you. Now you have extra electrons. Touch a door knob and ZAP! The electrons move from you to the knob. You get a shock.

Now that you have a better understanding of static electricity, let's explore atoms. Below you will find a link to a PowerPoint presentation that will explain matter.