Electricity

Electricity is very dangerous. Circuits powered by batteries can be used for investigation and experiments. However, electrical sockets and anything that is plugged into a socket, should never be played with.

For it to work, an electrical circuit:

• must have a power source (like a battery)
• needs something to be powered (like a bulb)
• must be complete (have no gaps in it).

Metals are good conductors (this means that electricity can pass easily through them). So, that is why metals are used for electrical cables and wires.

Insulators are the opposite of conductors, electricity cannot pass easily through an insulator. Plastics are good insulators. So they are used to cover wires and as covers for plugs and switches.

A switch can be used to make or break a circuit, to turn things on or off.

In real circuits, you should take care when the bits and pieces that make up a circuit (sometimes called components) are changed. If too much power passes through a component, it can be destroyed. When this happens we sometimes say that it has burnt out.

Electricity experiments  http://www.42explore.com/electric.htm

A simple circuit in SHOCKWAVE

Create your own virtual circuit click here

Electrical safety activity CLICK HERE

Lemon Experiment  Click here for details

Circuit Builder Game from BBC Click Here

See if you can light the lightbulb at this BBC site

Quiz on conductors click here

Changing Circuits try this activity here  Click here

Static Electricity Experiment Click here

Make your own lightning Click Here

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